Sydney Swans fans will see guernsey number 31 back on the field for the red and white in 2013, with Swans draftee Harry Marsh set to don the number previously worn by former captain Brett Kirk.

Marsh, who was drafted from East Fremantle, told sydneyswans.com.au that Kirk was among his football idols growing up and he hoped to mirror his game on the Swans great.

“I’m really excited to be able to wear the number and it’s going to be a tough act following Kirky, but hopefully I’m going to be able to play a similar role to what he did,” he said.

“He’s just an absolute legend really and he’s one of the hardest players I’ve seen playing the game, so he’s a real inspiration and role model to look up to and base my game around really.”

Like Marsh, 18-year-old forward Tim Membrey said he has big shoes to fill when it comes to wearing his selection - the number one guernsey.

Membrey, who kicked 54 goals at TAC Cup level for the Gippsland Power and Vic Country in 2012, said he hoped to one day match the success of one of the club’s most famous forwards.

“I’ll have to see how I go and hopefully I’ll be able to match the good players who have worn it before me,” Membrey said.

“There are some big names in there and I’ve had some comments already from family and a couple of mates back home who have asked if I’m going to be the next big Barry Hall, but I’m sure that is something that is a long way down the track.”

After 104 games in the number four guernsey at the Adelaide Crows, new recruit Kurt Tippett will wear the number eight guernsey at the Swans.

Tippett told sydneyswans.com.au his only criterion in selecting a new number was to ensure it was a guernsey with an even number.

“I’m not superstitious, but the number eight was the first even number that came up,” he said.

“I’ve always been an even number. I was four at the Crows and I was 12 when I played basketball as a kid.

“But really it’s not something I think too much about, in the end it’s just the number on my back and I’d be happy to play in any number for the Swans.”

Unlike Tippett, the Swans first round draft pick Dean Towers did implement a bit of superstition when selecting his guernsey number.

The 22-year-old, who was taken at pick 22, decided that he must be destined to wear the Swans number 22 guernsey in 2013.

“It really just seemed like everything was pointing at me to go with 22, so I was more than happy to go with number 22,” Towers said.

The Swans fourth selection in this year draft, Matthew Dick, will wear the number 28 guernsey, which was worn to premiership glory by Swans reserves coach Jared Crouch.

Dick said he was pleased to be wearing the number 28, with two of his old numbers currently taken.

“I had number 37 and number 24 last year, and I wasn’t going to get those numbers this year!” he joked.

“I did watch (Crouch) but he’s a bit of a different player to me, but must have been a good player to have played all of those games.”

Harry Cunningham, who was recently upgraded to the Swans senior list, will wear guernsey number seven in 2013, after wearing number 44 in 2012.

Rookie selections Daniel Robinson (number 27), Brandon Jack (33), Sam Naismith (35), Xavier Richards (42), Dane Rampe (43) and Jake Lloyd (44) round out the Swans guernsey numbers for 2013.

2013 Swans Guernsey Numbers:

1 MEMBREY, Tim
2 SHAW, Rhyce
3 McVEIGH, Jarrad
4 HANNEBERY, Daniel
5 O'KEEFE, Ryan
6 MITCHELL, Tom
7 CUNNINGHAM, Harry
8 TIPPETT, Kurt
9 MALCESKI, Nick
10 MORTON, Mitch
11 LAMB, Jed
12 KENNEDY, Josh
13 EVERITT, Andrejs
14 BIRD, Craig
15 JACK, Kieren
16 ROHAN, Gary
17 WALSH, Tommy
18 WHITE, Jesse
19 ARMSTRONG, Tony
20 REID, Sam
21 McGLYNN, Ben
22 TOWERS, Dean
23 LOCKYER, Jordan
24 BOLTON, Jude
25 RICHARDS, Ted
26 PARKER, Luke
27 ROBINSON, Daniel*
28 DICK, Matthew
29 MATTNER, Martin
30 ROBERTS-THOMSON, Lewis
31 MARSH, Harrison
32 JETTA, Lewis
33 JACK, Brandon*
34 JOHNSON, Alex
35 NAISMITH, Sam*
36 BROWN, Alex
37 GOODES, Adam
38 PYKE, Mike
39 GRUNDY, Heath
40 SMITH, Nick
41 MUMFORD, Shane
42 RICHARDS, Xavier*
43 RAMPE, Dane*
44 LLOYD, Jake*
46 BIGGS, Shane*
* indicates rookie