The Sydney Swans are pleased to announce that Club legend and former captain Paul Kelly will present official 2010 guernseys to the players at tonight’s Guernsey Presentation Dinner at the Hilton Hotel, Sydney.

Kelly and Steve Wright, two of the greatest players ever to wear the red and white, and both members of the Swans Team of the Century, will be on stage together to present guernseys.

Kelly played 234 games for the Swans between 1990 and 2002, and was captain from 1993 to the end of his career, the longest-serving captain in the Club’s history.  He won the Brownlow Medal in 1995, and  the Club best and fairest award four times.

Kelly, from the NSW Riverina town of Wagga Wagga, was recently employed by the AFL’s newest club, Team GWS, to help find and develop talented players from his home region.

However Kelly says he still considers himself a Sydney Swans person and was honoured to be asked to present the 2010 guernseys.

“It is good to be invited back for sure,’’ Kelly said. “For the Swans to invite me means they’re thinking the same as what I’m thinking.

“I’m often asked now how I feel about the Swans and I always say that I was at the Swans for 14 years of my life and you don’t just walk away from that with no feelings,’’ Kelly said.

“So at the moment I consider myself a Sydney Swans person, and the Swans are always going to be close to my heart.

“I think of it the same way that Ron Barassi did. He coached a number of clubs, including the Swans, but Barassi used to always say he was a Melbourne Demons person. He went and did lots of good things for other footy clubs but his roots were at Melbourne so that is the way I’m thinking.’’

More than 500 guests are expected at tonight’s guernsey presentation, where all players will be presented with their playing guernseys.

The three current captains, Brett Kirk, Craig Bolton and Adam Goodes, will address the function tonight.

The Guernsey Presentation is one of the highlights of the Sydney Swans calendar. The parents of all new players have been invited to the function, as is tradition at the Swans. The parents of recently drafted players Gary Rohan and Lewis Jetta flew in to Sydney from interstate to see their sons receive their first official Swans guernseys.

Victorian-born Rohan, the number six draft pick in 2009, will wear the number 16 guernsey this year, while WA recruit Jetta, taken at pick 14, will wear number 32.

The Swans play their first game of the season at ANZ Stadium on Saturday March 27, against 2009 Grand Finalists, St Kilda.