Thebarton Oval was South Australian football great Lindsay Head’s favourite playground.

Now, more than 70 years after he made his senior debut for the West Torrens football and cricket clubs who both called Thebarton Oval home, the triple Magarey Medallist is excited to see the start of a new beginning for the ground.

“I was only here a few months ago, there’s been a lot of work since then,” 89-year-old Head said as bulldozers shoved soil around the future home of the Adelaide Football Club.

“Hopefully I get to see it when it’s finished, it will be good to have football back here.”

Head’s father Tom and uncle Neil played for West Torrens in the 1920s, after the club moved to the new Thebarton Oval in 1922.

He lived in Dove Street at Thebarton - on the city side of what is now South Rd - and attended Thebarton Primary, before Thebarton Boys Technical High, next to the oval.

“I was always here, it was football in the winter and cricket in the summer,” Head said.

Head entered League football in 1952 as a precocious 16-year-old and retired 18 years later after 327 games for West Torrens.

He won eight club Best and Fairest awards, played in the 1953 premiership side, captained and coached the club, kicked a club record 524 goals, was the first SA player to reach 300 league games and winner of the SANFL’s highest individual honour in 1955, 1958 and 1963.

He also played 37 State games, won All-Australian selection in 1956, was made an MBE in the 1964 Queen’s New Year Eve honours list for services to football and was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Head also excelled at cricket, playing nine seasons of grade cricket with West Torrens.

He made his debut for South Australia in the 1957-58 season as an aggressive opener and played nine first-class games.

The original heritage-listed grandstand and soldiers memorial ticket office, and the Hank Brothers Stand (built in 1957) will be renovated and upgraded as part of the project.

“It’s going to be fantastic, not only for the Crows but for the community and also the ones of us (Torrens players and supporters) left,” Head said.

Construction on the Crows’ new headquarters officially began on Thursday.