Brisbane coach Chris Fagan can feel the momentum building after another memorable Gabba win he said proved his side had won over the city.

A sell-out crowd of 35,608 watched his side come from 17 points down in the last 10 minutes to beat Geelong in a top-of-the-table AFL thriller on Saturday.

The one-point win – 10.15 (75) to 10.14 (74) – was Brisbane’s ninth straight and ensures a top four finish for a side that managed just five wins last season.

It sets up a blockbuster final round against Richmond, where depending on results the Lions could still finish on top of the ladder even with a loss to the Tigers.

It was the second Gabba sell-out of the year, following an Easter Thursday loss to Collingwood that proved to be their only defeat at home from 11 games this season.

Things were different on Saturday though, and not just on the scoreboard.

Silence greeted any Cats highlights while the atmosphere peaked with Lincoln McCarthy’s huge mark and goal to steal the lead in the final 90 seconds.

Fagan arrived in Brisbane three seasons ago intent on building the club back to its glory days, when the side won the last of their three-straight titles 16 years ago.

“They were awesome weren’t they; I’ve never heard so much noise,” Fagan beamed.

“It was our crowd today; they turned up to watch our boys play.

“Back when we played Collingwood half the stadium was ours and half was Collingwood’s.

“So credit for that goes to the players and they way they play their footy; they’ve captured the imagination of the Brisbane public.”

The only sore point for Brisbane was injury to Allen Christensen, who departed before halftime with a hamstring injury that Fagan said could keep him out for a month.