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Retired Australian great Mick Fanning has been awarded a wildcard to compete at the World Surf League tour event at Bells Beach next month.
Retired three-time world champion Mick Fanning will chase a fifth Bells Beach title after being awarded a wildcard for next month's World Surf League event in Victoria.
Fanning, who retired from the tour in 2018, competed last year as a wildcard at Narrabeen but says a return to Bells is a dream outcome.
"Bells is the one I was really aiming for," he said.
"It's a place that is really close to my heart and if I was ever going to take a wildcard it would be there, so I'm pretty fired up."
The 40-year-old has 22 tour victories including four Bells titles, putting him alongside Kelly Slater, Lisa Andersen, Stephanie Gilmore and Mark Richards for wins at the Victorian point-break.
Only Gail Couper, with five Bells triumphs, has won more times at the venue.
"To go and ring the bell for the fifth time, no one has ever done it apart from Gail Couper," Fanning said.
"During my career I got close, but right now I just want to focus on putting on a good performance.
"My preparation when I was on tour was non-stop training but this time around I've just been focusing on my surfing and making sure it's up to the level of the best in the world."
The window for the event at Bells, the fourth stop on this year's WSL tour, opens on April 10.
Japan's Kanoa Igarashi holds top spot in the men's rankings with Costa Rica's Brisa Hennessy leading the women's competition.
The remaining wildcards for the men's and women's draws will be decided at a local trials event from April 7, with 20 men and 20 women competing for the one spot in each division.