AFL 2023: Carlton defender Caleb Marchbank on the score review against Melbourne

The AFL has ticked off Saturday night’s score review – but did Carlton defender Caleb Marchbank really touch the ball? He opens up amid the controversy.

Caleb Marchbank insists he touched the ball on Saturday night.

The AFL is comfortable with the decision to award Christian Petracca’s long shot at goal a point as Blues defender Caleb Marchbank made clear he touched the kick with his fingertips.

The last-gasp victory over Melbourne all but locked in Carlton’s finals participation with the Blues on 12 and a half wins and with a strong percentage.

The Blues can now make a cautious call on returning stars Sam Walsh and Adam Cerra, still unsure whether they will return against Gold Coast.

Walsh has missed three weeks with a hamstring issue while Cerra has missed two, with coach Michael Voss not guaranteeing their return on Saturday night.

The Blues were confident on Sunday morning Sam Docherty would be fit to play next week after being subbed off with a corked calf in the last term.

Caleb Marchbank insists he touched the ball on Saturday night.

The Blues defender says he got his fingertips to it. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

The epic victory over Melbourne in what Voss described as a finals-like atmosphere came with Marchbank going back with the flight to touch Petracca’s shot in the final minute.

The AFL said on Sunday the goal umpire had been sure the shot was touched, with the ARC reviewing the decision and upholding the point after it was not able to find proof either way.

Marchbank told ABC Radio post-match he was adamant he had touched the shot, even if replays raised doubts about whether it actually touched his fingertips.

“I turned around and thought, “Please touch this, please touch this”. Fortunately I did and the umpire called it. It was nice. The crowd was going so crazy so I didn’t know if they called it a point or a goal.

“My heart stopped, I thought they kicked a goal and I thought I just cost us the game but they called it the other way and here we are.”

Asked where he touched the ball he said: “On the fingertips but I was just hoping for anywhere. It was heart-in-mouth stuff. I was just hoping it would go in my favour.”

The Blues would need a miracle to finish in the top four, still six premiership points behind Melbourne and Port Adelaide ahead of the Power’s clash against GWS on Sunday.

The Demons would need to lose against Hawthorn and Sydney and the Blues win both of its remaining games against the Suns and GWS.

Originally published as AFL 2023: Carlton defender Caleb Marchbank on the score review against Melbourne