FORMER prime minister Tony Abbott has used an election day interview to hint at further frontbench ambitions, with a slew of football analogies.
The deposed leader, who is recontesting his Sydney seat of Warringah in the election he hoped to lead, said he had played in "a lot of footy teams", and was treating his position in the government in the same way he saw his spot on those squads. 
"From time to time, I've been dropped from first grade to second grade," he told radio shock jock Alan Jones yesterday.
"You've just got to accept the selectors' verdict, play as well as you can, and see what the future holds." Though he's repeatedly said he's happy to serve as member for Warringah, Mr Abbott has never ruled out returning to the frontbench in the future, fuelling speculation he is waiting in the wings to be picked for a higher position.
Mr Abbott compared himself to former prime minister John Howard for having faced "political ups and downs".
"John Howard is now lauded as the greatest living Liberal but that is not how the people felt on the night of the election in 2007 when he lost his seat," he said. "So, look, you just have to roll with the punches." Mr Abbott was asked if he hoped to be invited to join the front bench of the new government.
"This is entirely a matter for the Prime Minister," he said. "I'm hoping to be the Member of Warringah after the election. There's plenty of things I can do." Continuing the football theme, Jones asked how things would have played out if Mr Abbott could "defend his premiership" as captain.
"It would have been a different campaign obviously," he said. "My thinking back in   September last year was that we would seek a mandate for serious savings," he said.
"That we should have another look at the measures that were blocked in the Senate and very overtly and explicitly and right upfront go to the people and say, 'Look, if we are going to have long-term budget responsibility we need to embrace these difficult but neces-sary decisions." In an earlier interview this week, Mr Abbott criticised Mr Turnbull's campaign for failing to focus on "the big issues" like budget repair, national security and border security.
The former leader is expected to be safely returned as MP for Warringah.He's held the blue ribbon seat on Sydney's north shore since 1994, and sits on a margin of 15 per cent.