Former Sydney skipper Brett Kirk clung to his guernsey “pretty bloody tightly” when he signed with the Swans as a rookie ahead of the 1999 season.

And the 2005 premiership co-captain has sage advice for anyone set to link with the Swans at the Rookie Draft this week.

Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium will open its doors for the AFL Draft on Thursday, with Friday’s Rookie Draft presenting a pathway to the big time for those sidestepped by selection.

Kirk, who now works as a Sydney midfield coach alongside former West Coast Eagles ruckman Dean Cox, says it meant the world to him to join the Swans.

And the 241-game legend has words of advice for those on the cusp of signing as a rookie.

“Playing for the Swans was what I had dreamed about since a young age,” Kirk told sydneyswans.com.au.

“I remember watching footy and idolising players like Greg Williams and Paul Kelly. I was a huge Swans fan and to be able to get out on the track and train with those guys made for a huge moment in my life.

“I remember the first guernsey presentation – the time I was presented with my Swans jumper. I held on to it pretty bloody tightly.

“Anyone selected as a rookie on Friday should just put their head down and bum up, work really hard and just buy in to what the Club is all about. Whatever you put in you get back tenfold.”

A host of Swans greats began their AFL journey as a rookie, with veterans Heath Grundy (255 games), Kieren Jack (248) and Nick Smith (211) following in the footsteps of Kirk.

Youngsters Tom Papley and Ben Ronke have burst on to the scene in more recent times, while defender Jake Lloyd was crowned 2018 Club Champion to rubber-stamp his rise to stardom.

Kirk credits Sydney’s rookie success to a tenacious attitude and the Swans’ well-founded culture.

“Rookies are looked at a bit differently to those picked at the AFL Draft,” Kirk said.

“They’re generally not picked up at the AFL Draft because of talent. There’s usually always a flaw in their game so it’s about identifying the guys who have got grit, the ability to overcome challenges, had some failure along the way and found a way.

"Sometimes they’ve got some out-and-out qualities, whether that be hardness or speed, but they might have a knock on something else. But those kinds of players continue to find a way because that’s the way they’ve conditioned themselves mentally. They say ‘Well, it hasn’t worked this way’, or ‘I might not be able to do this, but gee I can be bloody good at this’.

"And there’s no doubt we’ve had former captains, All-Australians and, in the last couple of years, the likes of Tom Papley and Ben Ronke, who for some reason missed out at the AFL Draft. But Kinnear (Beatson) and the team have a keen eye for unearthing guys who might not be as talented but have some great attributes in other areas of their game.

“There isn’t any hierarchy or elitism at the Swans in terms of where you’ve come from or where you got picked at the Draft. It’s more about getting respect from how hard you work and how willing you are to push yourself and really buy in.”

Any number of rookies could arrive at the SCG for day one of their AFL career next Monday.

And keep them on your radar – for a soon-to-be Swan could be set to follow Kirk’s lead.