The roar was deafening, the excitement overwhelming and the fists of fans on the commentary box window were firm and full of passion at the Gabba.

Three goals down into time-on of the last quarter, the Brisbane Lions hit the "break glass in case of emergency" button and the resultant fightback saw the glass almost broken in our broadcast position as well.

I'd heard about the glory days of the so called "Gabbatoir" in the early 2000s but those days were a distant memory during the five years I spent calling footy in Brisbane from 2011-2015.

Loading

As three-time Carlton premiership player Mark Maclure and I arrived, three hours prior to the Lions' top-two clash with the Cats, the line to get into the members already stretched up Vulture St as far as the eye could see.

The game was a sellout and AFL in Queensland was clearly alive and kicking again. The match was a magnificent finals entree.

Initially low-scoring but fiercely contested and completely absorbing to watch. It became a classic.

Not for the first time this season, Brisbane looked on the brink of defeat but belied its lack of big-game experience and found a way to win.

Lincoln McCarthy's spectacular mark and match-winning goal brought the house down but the star of the show was undoubtedly Charlie Cameron.

Freakishly agile, cunning and classy, Cameron has become the game's most dangerous, and perhaps most exciting, player.

While Patrick Dangerfield inspired Geelong with mass accumulation, penetrating run and kicking, Cameron was an ever-present threat revving up the crowd and running rings around hapless defenders with a thrilling five-goal haul.

The scenes of celebration in the aftermath of the match were unforgettable, not least the reaction of Lions coach Chris Fagan, who was completely overcome and through tear-filled eyes ran to embrace his triumphant players.

Charlie Cameron was again the star of the show in the Lions' heart-stopping win over Geelong at the Gabba. ( AAP: Darren England )

Fagan is not one typically prone to moments of unbridled emotion. He's a calm and measured man, a man who possesses an enviable vinyl collection and a rare ability to connect with his players — some a third his age, with little knowledge of records, except for those achieved at the draft combine.

Fagan is clearly the AFL's coach of the year, having led a team that won 17 games in its previous four seasons to 16 wins this year and a guaranteed top-four finish.

Tigers - Eagles classic shows pair could go all the way

Saturday suggested this season's finals series will be one of the best we've witnessed and Sunday's clash between Richmond and West Coast only heightened the growing sense of anticipation.

No one was getting away from Richmond superstar Dustin Martin against the Eagles — not even his teammates. ( AAP: Michael Dodge )

The Eagles were clinical in the first quarter, kicking seven goals and establishing a lead of 29 points. But with Dustin Martin at his Brownlow medal-winning best — 35 possessions, 13 inside 50s and a goal — the Tigers clawed their way back.

The dying minutes of the match were simply epic. Jack Riewoldt, earlier the victim of two shocking studs-up calls, stood up with what proved the match-winning goal in time-on.

If these sides meet on the MCG again in the last game of the season, we're in for a fitting finale.

Bulldogs heading in one direction ahead of finals

Beware the Western Bulldogs. Like Brisbane, the Bullies play some of the most appealing football of any team in the competition and when they get a run on, look out.

Last week the Dogs kicked 21 consecutive goals against Essendon. This week, they stormed into the AFL's top eight with 12 unanswered goals against the Giants in Sydney.

Speed of movement and unstoppable confidence-fuelled surges have propelled the young Dogs into a privileged position where they control their own destiny. If they beat the staggering Crows in Ballarat on Sunday, they'll play in the finals — and the finals will be better for it.

Marcus Bontempelli may be the Western Bulldogs' pin-up boy, but there are plenty of other young stars in the band. ( AAP: David Gray )

I would happily take a sledgehammer to a One Direction album but, in a perverse way, the side from the Whitten Oval reminds me of a boy band.

Marcus Bontempelli is the dashing centre-of-attention pin-up boy. He's beautiful and brilliant — captivating. But equally appealing, in a teenage girl excitable way, are the other young members of the Bulldog band: Jack Macrae, Josh Dunkley, Lachie Hunter, Bailey Smith and Aaron Naughton.

They're all good catches, who get the heart pounding too. From an age perspective, the club is perfectly placed for a period of sustained success. With a litter of precocious pups, some already part of a premiership side in 2016, the next decade is sure to be a fruitful one.

Dons, Kangas answer the critics with big wins

Hats off to Essendon and North Melbourne. The Kangas and Bombers were belted in round 21 but responded superbly.

Modern football can be so much in the mind. Teams that aren't mentally switched-on will be beaten by anyone and sometimes beaten very convincingly.

Ben Brown produced the goods with a 10-goal haul for the Kangaroos against Port Adelaide. ( AAP: Daniel Pockett )

It was a joy to watch North Melbourne spearhead Ben Brown bring up a very rare feat in modern football. His ten-goal haul against the Power took him to 62 for the season and a Coleman Medal lead of four over the Giants' Jeremy Cameron.

The Bombers were lambasted after last week's inept performance against the Dogs. By comparison, their performance against the Dockers was inspired.

The future of Essendon coach John Worsfold has been the topic of much discussion this season, but with the side now certain to play in the finals, Woosha's kept the wolves at bay.

Roughy's day a celebration to remember

Jarryd Roughead thrilled the crowd with his six-goal return in his final game in front of the Hawks' faithful. ( AAP: Daniel Pockett )

Loading

And what about the celebration of Roughy. A crowd of 31,000 turned out at Docklands — almost three times the likely crowd for a clash with Suns at a venue Hawks fans detest as much as an Ablett goal on the run from 50.

Football can be grateful Alastair Clarkson bowed to sentiment and gave the four-time premiership cult figure, Jarryd Roughead, the Melbourne-based send-off he deserved.

Roughead starred with six goals including a trademark swoop and snap in the last quarter that sent the crowd into raptures.

Onya Clarko, onya Roughy. Well played.

Alister Nicholson is one of ABC Grandstand's senior AFL commentators @alisternicho