Former Kookaburra Paul Dearing has been awarded legend status 15 years after his induction to the hall of fame in 2008.

Former teammate and Australian Coach Richard Aggis surveyed 50 Australian players, officials and coaches to determine the greatest ever players, where Dearing was ranked third behind current legends Dr Richard Charlesworth and Julian Pearce consolidating his place amongst the stars of Australian hockey.

A goalkeeper from NSW, Dearing built a training regime that became part of hockey folklore by running 400 meter sprints with his goalkeeping pads on. Often seen training with rugby players, he was one of Australia's fittest athletes and built a reputation for his fearless defence of the goals whether it was for his club, his state or for Australia in an era of limited protective gear.

First selected to play for Australia in 1963 Dearing would go on to play in 69 International matches over 10 years from 1963-1972. Dearing was one of two goalkeepers selected to play in the 1964 Olympics where he was picked to play in the semifinal against India and again in the winning bronze medal match where the team brought home Australia's first Olympic medal.

Paul backed up his performance at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, playing in all 10 matches including the semifinal against India and the final against Pakistan, consolidating himself as an integral part of a team that came home with a silver medal. The 1968 Olympic Hockey Team that came home with a silver medal, was clearly one of Australia’s greatest ever teams and Paul Dearing was an integral part of that team.

In 1971 Paul was selected in the Australian team for the inaugural World cup in Barcelona, Spain and played in all 6 matches. In 1972 Paul was selected for his third Olympic Games, to be held in Munich where he played in all 9 matches before announcing his retirement from International Hockey.

Paul Dearing takes his rightful place as a legend of Australian Hockey after an illustrious career capped off with two Olympic medals and a lasting legacy on Australian hockey.

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