Dr McFetridge announced on 1 May 2017 that he would resign from the Liberals and move to the crossbench as an independent after losing Liberal pre-selection in Morphett for the 2018 election to City of Holdfast Bay mayor Stephen Patterson. Mr Patterson beat Dr McFetridge by one vote after his name was drawn ‘out of a hat’as he and the other contender were even behind McFetridge on primary votes. The following month, Dr McFetridge announced he would re-contest Morphett as an independent.