An anonymous football fan is hoping to acknowledge one of Australia's greatest footballers by placing a commemorative plaque on his unmarked grave in an Adelaide cemetery.

Known only to his family, a few visitors and researchers of the Nailsworth Cemetery, triple Brownlow Medallist and triple Sandover Medallist Haydn William Bunton Senior rests in a family plot with his wife Lylia and mother-in-law Annie Austin.

The grave, in the south-western corner of the cemetery, bears no markings to reveal it as the final resting place of the football legend.

Upon discovering the location of the unmarked grave, a 77-year-old long-time fan of Bunton named Arnold approached the remaining members of the family with a request to place a commemorative plaque on the site.

"I found it quite upsetting that his grave was unmarked," Arnold said.

Arnold had worked with Bunton in 1954 at Foy and Gibson department store in Melbourne.

An apprentice carpet-layer at the time, Arnold recalled the large crowds that filled the store to gain a glimpse of Bunton as he worked.

Arnold fondly recalled the phrase that was commonly used to describe Bunton's on-field demeanour.

"He was a thoroughbred in a field of Clydesdales.

"He was my childhood hero," Arnold said.

Triple-winner of Brownlow and Sandover medals

Bunton is the only footballer in the game's history to have won both the Brownlow and Sandover Medals three times.

He is one of only four players to be awarded the Brownlow more than twice.

Haydn Bunton Snr plays at a Fitzroy practice match April 9, 1934. ( National Library of Australia: The Argus Melbourne )

Born in Albury, NSW, Bunton's abilities as a footballer were evident in his appearances for the Albury Football Club in the local Ovens and Murray League.

Recruitment offers quickly came from all 12 Victorian Football League clubs, with Fitzroy securing the player for £222.

Bunton was banned for a season in 1930 for a move deemed illegal by the VFL, but the ban did little to tarnish his career.

Excelling in the midfield, Bunton won Brownlow Medals in his first two seasons with the Fitzroy Football Club in 1931 and 1932.

He captained the side from 1932, was runner-up in the Brownlow count of 1934 and won his third medal in 1935.

Although he remained the club's leading goal kicker in 1936 and 1937, he was unsuccessful in matching previous accomplishments.

With a stint as the captain and senior coach for Fitzroy in 1936, Bunton accepted a similar role in 1938 with Subiaco and relocated to Western Australia.

He collected the Sandover Award in 1938, 1939 and 1941 and returned to Fitzroy for a few games before enlisting in the Australian Army in 1942.

Bunton settled in Adelaide after World War II, played one season in the SANFL for Port Adelaide, before field umpiring in 1946.

He turned his hand back to coaching for North Adelaide in 1947 and 1948.

He played a total of 11 seasons of football in the VFL, WAFL and SANFL and averaged one Brownlow vote per game in his VFL career.

Inaugural 'Legend' in Hall of Fame

Bunton died Monday September 5, 1955, five days after he sustained injuries in a single-vehicle accident near Gawler.

In 1996 the talented football player was honoured by being named the inaugural Legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame and was nominated as left-forward-pocket in the AFL Team of the Century.

Arnold has honoured the gravesites of several boxers in the past with commemorative plaques.

The plaque Arnold hopes to place on the grave would honour Bunton and his wife.

The Bunton family has approved the request.

A commemorative plaque will be placed on the grave after applications to update the custodianship of the site are complete.

Arnold's surname has been left out from publication by request.