WHEN I watched my first live footy game at the Adelaide Oval, I got smacked on the bum. And that's when I knew that this was my sport, and this was my Oval. I'd never felt more at home. 

Before you get any ideas, here's some context. It was the 2017 SANFL Grand Final and I'd only just understood the rules around the sport before deciding to take the plunge by attending a game. It happened to be a classic, with Sturt beating Port Adelaide by a single point. And the deliverer of the smack was an excited Double Blues fan in her 60s.

In her defence, I was wearing a long cardigan to contend with the blustery wind that September evening and was stood facing the action under the iconic scoreboard with my back turned. So maybe she mistook me for a member of her family, courtesy of my long mane. There was a faint apology before she resumed celebrating the famous Sturt victory. 

It was my first window into simply how much Australian football meant to people here, and the unbridled, almost uncontrollable, ecstasy that was brought on by a win for their club. It was infectious, contagious even. 

But more than anything, I was completely hooked by the experience of soaking in every bit of this most Australian of sports at this most Australian of sporting venues. 

I was no stranger to the Adelaide Oval, of course. I'd been there as an Indian cricket journalist once before in December 2014. To cover the most emotional Test match that Australia has probably ever witnessed in the wake of Phillip Hughes' tragic passing. 

It's safe to say that I was smitten the first time I entered the Adelaide Oval from the Southern Gate, having walked along the Torrens River to get there. My first impression of this iconic venue was about how it was a world-class stadium in a village green setting. 

It is, if anything, a true reflection of the city of Adelaide itself. Keen on keeping up with the times, but keener on not losing its original identity or its strong connections to the past. 

The MCG is a colossus. It humbles you. It overwhelms. The Adelaide Oval is a vibe. It inspires. It embraces you. 

I'd always dreamt about one day visiting the Adelaide Oval after having seen it on TV as a little boy growing up in India. And more so after reading on a trading card about the great Indian cricket all-rounder Kapil Dev referring to it as his favourite cricket ground in the world.

It's also while sat in the media centre 11 years ago, and looking over at the leafy suburbs that lay beyond the upper reaches of the Oval that I decided that Adelaide would be my home someday. 

You're constantly oscillating between what was and what is as you walk around the Adelaide Oval. From the ultra-modern Riverbank Stand that has towered over the Oval for over a decade in the south, to the Moreton Bay fig trees shading it from the north, having stood the test of time for over a century and a quarter. Much like that historic scoreboard, which never fails to take you on a virtual ride through all the extraordinary events this magical hallowed turf has witnessed over multiple generations. 

The atmosphere during the footy at the Adelaide Oval is rather distinctive when compared to what is it like for Test cricket. There's no Village Green at the back to network and socialise, or have a stag do. The action and the attention are all focused on what's transpiring in the middle. It's a lot more raucous and includes that trademark sight of an 80-year-old great-grandma and her eight-year-old great-grandkid abusing the umpire with the same angst and often using the same vocabulary.

For a ground that isn't quite a cauldron, the Adelaide Oval has unique acoustics, where the sound still always seems to reverberate around with great intensity. Whether it's when the Power fans stand as one for Never Tear Us Apart just before the first bounce or when Taylor Walker kicks a major utilising one of those unique angles only he can conjure up a goal from. 

There's something special about the Adelaide Oval where even the most electric of sporting contests carries a festive feel. It's a celebration of sport. Not just during the game but even after it, as a sea of people walk over the river along the footbridge that connects the Oval to the centre of the city. 

As lovely as it is to be in the Western or the Eastern/Football stands to get the best side-on vantage points for a more holistic view of a game of football, you must experience a game from The Hill. Here, it's all very authentic and raw and it allows you to capture and contribute to the emotion of the event, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the most passionate and vocal fans at the Oval, and stealing glances at the fabulous St Peter's Cathedral in the background by just turning your neck slightly. And before you ask, the whack on the bum has not been replicated or repeated after that first time when I was up there. 

There's just so much more I love about the Adelaide Oval that I could sum up in one piece. From the lovely Judy and her warmest hugs outside the media lifts, the inimitable climbing vines that add an embroidered feel at the back of the western stands and the best cricket nets in the world that I spend so many hours stood behind during the summer, to the celebration of Bradman everywhere you look, the David Hookes Terrace Bar and the fact that there's simply not a bad view regardless of where you're sat. 

But above all, it's that feeling of belonging that the Adelaide Oval has provided ever since I moved here. 

My foremost travel advice for anyone flying into Adelaide is always the same. "Make sure you have an 'A' window seat on the left, so that you get the best aerial view of the best sporting venue in the world."

I always make sure I do, and every time the flight descends over the Adelaide Hills, and the Adelaide Oval comes into view, it's like receiving a warm, fuzzy hug. It's that unmistakable feeling of being welcomed back home. 

You can read this piece and all the other great Gather Round content in the 128-page AFL Record Gather Round edition, on sale at all games for $6 and also throughout Adelaide and other locations. The digital edition is available through aflrecord.com.au for $5. 

To subscribe to the AFL Record, please visit aflrecord.com.au