The Victorian Liberals are set to launch ferocious personalised attacks on Premier Daniel Andrews, in an attempt to paint him as a liability for Labor.

Internal Liberal strategy briefings show the Liberals will target Mr Andrews heavily, running the risk of a dirty election campaign featuring two leaders trying to destroy each other’s reputations.

But Labor campaign planners have told Fairfax Media they believe Mr Andrews’ personal brand is strong in regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne. They say their research refutes suggestions the premier is disliked.

Liberal plans to target Mr Andrews are not without risk. Opposition Leader Matthew Guy suffered brand damage last year after revelations he had dinner with a man police allege is the head of Melbourne’s mafia.

Opposition briefing documents show a strategy to topple the Andrews government when the state votes in November is based around six “Cs”.

Liberal and Nationals MPs are being drilled to campaign on ‘cost of living, crime, congestion and the Country Fire Authority,’ all areas where the Coalition believes it is strong or Labor is vulnerable.

The fifth ‘C’ is the need for Liberals and Nationals to try to talk up a ‘mood for change’ in the state and to emphasise their belief that Victoria is heading in the wrong direction and that voters have a choice.

The sixth “C” is “Comrade Andrews”.

The party has provided a series of disparaging quotes about Mr Andrews’ character to MPs, including comments about the premier’s controversial fallout with former emergency services minister Jane Garrett and Labor’s decision to scrap the East West Link.

One senior Liberal source said Labor’s Northcote by-election loss to the Greens showed Mr Andrews was not popular despite his progressive agenda.

“He’s no Steve Bracks,” the source said, referring to the popular former Labor premier.

Despite Labor’s comprehensive election loss at the Northcote by-election, some within the party remain confident the result did not represent the likely outcome in all inner suburban seats at the coming election.

“In Northcote people were not voting for Daniel Andrews to be re-elected,” one Labor strategist said.

The strategist told Fairfax Media the premier would be at the centre of Labor’s campaign in the inner city, saying Mr Andrews was regarded as a “conviction politician” due to his championing of progressive policies.

“People are looking for conviction politicians when it comes to the state election and they get that with Daniel.”

However, defending the inner north against the Greens remains a huge challenge. The seat of Brunswick is among the most problematic for Labor with the party yet to preselect a candidate to contest the seat.

Serving MP Jane Garrett will vacate Brunswick after making a failed attempt to switch to the upper house.

High-profile union leader Ged Kearney was initially preselected to contest the November election in Brunswick but she withdrew in order to stand as the candidate for the federal seat of Batman following the retirement of sitting member David Feeney.

Earlier this month Labor MPs were also told that economic issues were foremost in voters’ minds with wage stagnation, insecure employment and cost of living showing up in research as top issues for Victorians.