A list of successful grants recipients released by Sport Australia shows there were multiple grants awarded to sports clubs in government-held electorates under threat from independent candidates or those where the government wanted to unseat an incumbent independent MP.

Among those targeted was Warringah, where former prime minister Tony Abbott was being challenged by strong independent candidate Zali Steggall; Mayo in South Australia, held by independent Rebekha Sharkie; and the New South Wales north coast seat of Cowper, which was contested by prominent former independent MP Rob Oakeshott.

A spreadsheet of the 684 Community Sport Infrastructure recipients shows that in each of the electorates, multiple clubs were successful in applying for grants, some worth half a million dollars.

In Warringah, sports organisations and municipal councils received grants worth almost $1 million, including $500,000 for the Mosman Rowing Club, $70,000 for the Queenscliff Surf Lifesaving Club, of which Mr Abbott is a member and $330,000 to the Northern Beaches Council.

Ms Steggall, who won the seat following a 12 per cent swing against Mr Abbott, said the flow of sports grants to the electorate grew as the political contest intensified.

"As Tony Abbott became more under threat during the federal election campaign we began to see an increase in funding announcements for the Warringah electorate," Ms Steggall said.

"At the time the funding was welcomed by local sporting organisations but was seen by many as being well overdue, given Mr Abbott had been representing Warringah for 25 years."

In Mayo, the Adelaide Hills seat formerly held by former foreign minister Alexander Downer, more than $1 million was granted to five sports groups and municipalities, including almost $450,000 to the Adelaide Hills Council, $400,000 to Willunga Recreation Park Incorporated and more than $127,373 to the Yankalilla Bowling Club.

Ms Sharkie, who originally won the seat in 2016 before being forced to resign because she had failed to complete the renunciation of her British citizenship, succeeded in winning a by-election in 2018 and came to the 2019 election as incumbent, facing a challenge from Mr Downer's daughter Georgina.

The Centre Alliance MP, who comfortably held on to the seat with a 2.2 per cent swing in her favour, said sports clubs in her electorate whose applications were judged to have high merit but who missed out on a grant would be "justifiably angry".

"Having written letters of support and advocated for a number of the clubs for this grant scheme and for other sources of funding, I empathise with that anger and will be continuing my advocacy for them into the future," Ms Sharkie said.

"Election promises with future funding for marginal seats is one thing, competitive grant schemes should be just that - merit-based and transparent."

Ms Sharkie said she was concerned that in the wake of the affair, "governments from all sides" would pull back from funding sporting infrastructure.

"That would be a tremendous shame because this funding is so desperately needed," she said.

In Cowper more than $1 million was handed out to at least seven sports groups and councils, including $400,000 to Coffs Harbour City Council, $200,000 to Hockey Coffs Coast Incorporated and more than $178,000 to the Nambucca Shire Council.

The National Party, of which former sport minister Bridget McKenzie is deputy leader, was concerned about holding on to the seat following the retirement of long-standing member Luke Hartsuyker and the challenge by high-profile independent Rob Oakeshott.

At the election Nationals candidate Pat Conaghan was comfortably elected with a 2.2 per cent swing toward his party following a fierce campaign that Mr Oakeshott condemned as involving "fears, smears and beers".

The administration of the scheme by Senator McKenzie has been heavily criticised by the Auditor-General, who found that she had effectively ignored grant recommendations made by Sports Australia.

But the government has so far defied mounting calls for her to resign, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison told the National Press Club on Wednesday that "the rules were followed".

But he dodged questions on whether the minister had been legally entitled to intervene in the administration of the grants, saying it was a matter that had been referred to Attorney-General Christian Porter to investigate.