Guerra, 30, was in stunning form heading into last season's finals series when the classy left-footer suffered a shocking hamstring injury in Round 23 and missed the entire premiership play-off series through September.
The Hawks 2008 premiership half-back returns in Saturday night's triangular series against Gold Coast and then Brisbane at Metricon Stadium.
The Hawks will be without champion midfielders Sam Mitchell and Luke Hodge, but have named superstar forward Lance Franklin and nippy ball-magnent Cyril Rioli for first-up summer series duty.
Hawks trump recruit Brian Lake will lead his new unit's defence for a first time since the dual All-Australian (2009-10) walked out on the Western Bulldogs at the end of last season.
But tough Hawks on-ballers Brad Sewell, Jordan Lewis and defensive sweeper Shaun Burgoyne will all miss the first up playing action.
The Gold Coast series also unveils exciting Suns newcomer Jaeger O'Meara just a month ahead of the brilliant young gun's official AFL debut.
O'Meara, will celebrate his 19th birthday in possible engagements with Hawks stars and talented Brisbane on-ballers on Saturday night.
O'Meara was ineligible to play in the AFL last year because he was too young after he had been recruited to Gold Coast through formation regulations in a trade of draft picks from the Suns to Greater Western Sydney.
O'Meara is expected to be one of the star attractions throughout the summer series and into the official AFL premiership season.
The Suns have won special league permission to play another exciting young gun from the GWS formation draft swap system Jack Martin.
Martin, 18, is in the same category this year as O'Meara was last season when he will spend a season in the Sun's reserves team ahead of an anticipated debut in 2014.
Brisbane named on-ballers Daniel Rich and Tom Rockliff to share captaincy duties with veteran skipper Jonathan Brown and official new on-field leader Jed Adcock sitting out the opening NAB action.
Important recruits Brent Moloney and Stefan Martin will make initial appearances with the Lions since crossing from Melbourne at the end of last season.
Carlton will trial star follower Marc Murphy as captain in outings against Greater Western Sydney and reigning champions Sydney at Blacktown on Sunday afternoon.
Murphy was named in a strong Blues midfield, despite champion veteran Chris Judd sitting out as the dual Brownlow medallist completes finals stages of a recovery from hamstring troubles.
NAB Cup Squads:
BRISBANE LIONS, HAWTHORN and GOLD COAST at Metricon Stadium, Saturday February 23.
BRISBANE LIONS: Sam Docherty, Ryan Harwood, Brent Moloney, Billy Longer, Josh Green, Rohan Bewick, Ash McGrath, Daniel Rich, Stefan Martin, Callum Bartlett, Dayne Zorko, Claye Beams, Todd Banfield, Jordan Lisle, Dan Merrett, Marco Paparone, Joel Patfull, Richard Newell, Elliot Yeo, Patrick Karnezis, Andrew Raines, Jack Redden, James Polkinghorne, Ryan Lester, Matt Maguire, Patrick Wearden, Tom Rockliff, Niall McKeever, Mitch Golby, Justin Clarke, Aaron Cornelius, Sam Michael, Stephen Wrigley.
HAWTHORN: Jarryd Roughead, Matthew Suckling, Josh Gibson, Bradley Hill, Kyle Cheney, Grant Birchall, Isaac Smith, Brian Lake, Brent Guerra, Jack Gunston, David Hale, Shane Savage, Luke Breust, Lance Franklin, Ben Stratton, Ryan Schoenmakers, Matthew Spangher, Paul Puopolo, William Langford, Luke Lowden, Angus Litherland, Jonathan Simpkin, Cyril Rioli, Jordan Kelly, Sam Grimley, Jed Anderson, Mitchell Hallahan, Max Bailey, Tim O'Brien, Taylor Duryea, Kaiden Brand, Amos Frank, Derick Wanganeen, Jonathon Ceglar.
GOLD COAST: Jaeger O'Meara, Zac Smith, Jared Brennan, Maverick Weller, Jarrod Harbrow, Alex Sexton, Karmichael Hunt, Luke Russell, Gary Ablett, Harley Bennell, Sam Day, Jacob Gillbee, Matthew Warnock, Daniel Gorringe, Rory Thompson, Stephen May, Tom Lynch, Jeremy Taylor, Charlie Dixon, David Swallow, Matthew Shaw, Jack Martin, Tom Murphy, Campbell Brown, Jackson Allen, Aaron Hall, Jack Hutchins, Michael Rischitelli, Greg Broughton, Jesse Lonergan, Joel Wilkinson, Andrew Boston, Kyal Horsley.
CARLTON, SYDNEY SWANS and GWS GIANTS at Blacktown International Sportspark, Sunday February 24
CARLTON: Andrew Walker, Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, Kade Simpson, Dylan Buckley, Kane Lucas, Matthew Watson, Rob Warnock, Mitch Robinson, Chris Yarran, Brock McLean, Jeremy Laidler, Andrew Collins, Sam Rowe, Eddie Betts, Rhys O'Keeffe, Josh Bootsma, Shaun Hampson, Lachie Henderson, Patrick McCarthy, Dennis Armfield, Tom Bell, Marcus Davies, Nick Graham, Nick Duigan, Edward Curnow, Jeffrey Garlett, Michael Jamison, Levi Casboult, Zach Tuohy, Simon White, Andrew Carrazzo, Aaron Joseph, David Ellard.
SYDNEY SWANS: Tim Membrey, Jarrad McVeigh, Daniel Hannebery, Ryan O'Keefe, Harry Cunningham, Nick Malceski, Jed Lamb, Josh Kennedy, Andrejs Everitt, Craig Bird, Kieren Jack, Tommy Walsh, Jesse White, Tony Armstrong, Sam Reid, Dean Towers, Jordan Lockyer, Jude Bolton, Ted Richards, Luke Parker, Matthew Dick, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Harrison Marsh, Lewis Jetta, Brandon Jack, Alex Johnson, Sam Naismith, Alex Brown, Michael Pyke, Heath Grundy, Xavier Richards, Dane Rampe, Jake Lloyd, Shane Biggs.
GWS GIANTS: Phil Davis, Curtly Hampton, Toby Greene, Dylan Shiel, Lachie Whitfield, Rhys Palmer, Tom Scully, Devon Smith, Taylor Adams, Jonathon Patton, Sam Darley, Tomas Bugg, Tim Golds, Nathan Wilson, Adam Treloar, Jeremy Cameron, Adam Tomlinson, Matt Buntine, Shaun Edwards, Sam Reid, Anthony Miles, Jonathan Giles, Liam Sumner, Lachie Plowman, Jacob Townsend, Gerald Ugle, Aidan Corr, Setanta O'hAilpin, Stephen Gilham, Tim Mohr, Adam Kennedy, Mark Whiley, Kurt Aylett, Sam Frost.