The Blues coach was reportedly unhappy with Channel Seven's replays of his agitated reactions in the coaches' box during the game. He confronted Ling, who was boundary commentator for the network during the coverage, at half-time in a tense exchange on the field.
But Malthouse said on Monday night that he had no problem with Ling, who is considering whether to leave the commentary box for a coaching career next year, and denied there was any spat during the game.
"I get on very well with Cameron Ling. He misinterpreted that I was talking to him; it certainly wasn't him," Malthouse told reporters in footage aired on Seven's Talking Footy on Monday night.
"I admire him, I reckon he's a fantastic bloke. I think that if you spoke to him, he would see it that way as well."
Ling went ahead with his pre-scheduled half-time update from the Carlton rooms.
The veteran coach and Ling were both part of Seven's broadcast team in 2012, when Malthouse was a commentator in the season between finishing in the senior post at Collingwood and joining Carlton last season.