CARLTON coach Michael Voss has conceded an overturned goal that would have brought his side within three points of Richmond "didn't look" touched from where he was sitting.
The Blues were 17 points down midway through the final term, but three goals in a row from Harry McKay trimmed the margin back to nine points, before Jack Newnes had a shot on goal.
The ball sailed through the big sticks and appeared to bring the margin down to just three points, but the goal was overturned on review after the ball was deemed to have been touched off the boot by a Richmond defender.
It seemed to swing the game's momentum back in Richmond's favour, with the Tigers going on to defeat the Blues by 15 points.
Voss said Newnes’ shot didn't appear to be touched from his vantage point, but acknowledged he didn't have the benefit of seeing multiple angles and hoped the decision was “definitive”.
"If we're going to make decisions like that in games, you'd hope it was definitive,” Voss said.
"Certainly we'd want to make sure we're absolutely 100 per cent sure before overturning something like that myself. Clearly the call was made and we have to live with the result.
"It didn't look it (touched) from where I was but I don't watch the ten different angles of it. I've got one... if it was touched we move on."
Voss' Richmond counterpart Damien Hardwick described Shai Bolton's decision to taunt Blues defender Sam Docherty as "not a great look" and hopes the young forward will learn from it going forward.
Early in the final term, Bolton was running into an open goal and opted to turn around and show the chasing Docherty the ball, before kicking the major to give the Tigers a 20 point lead.
The two had already exchanged words just prior to the incident after a scuffle broke out between the two teams on the three-quarter time siren.
Hardwick believes Bolton has "made a mistake" but said he will be held liable for the decision, which he believes goes against what the club stands for.
"Yeah, look he's made a mistake," Hardwick said.
"It's not us, it's not what we're about and he'll be regretful no question, he'll be accountable and responsible for it. It's certainly not part of who he is and part of what we are so we're disappointed but we'll work our way through it and support him and he will learn some lessons from it.
"It's not a great look... It's not what we stand for."
When asked about the taunting, Carlton coach Michael Voss refused to weigh in on the incident, believing it's not his place to "coach" a player who's not on his team.
"I'll let Dimma (Hardwick) coach his players and I'll coach mine," Voss said.
"I wouldn't even dare dream to coach another player from another team. That's for Dimma to deal with and I'll deal with my own players. I'm pretty firm on that.”
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Ultimately, the Tigers were too good for the fast-finishing Blues on Thursday evening, hanging on to a 15-point win which ultimately secures their place back inside the top eight.
Hardwick described the contest as “a game of inches”, but hoped his players would've been more clinical going forward given their dominance in the inside 50 count (76-51).
"It was a really frustrating game, to be honest," Hardwick said.
"You get 76 inside 50s and the scoreboard is closer than what it is challenging but it was one of those games. Conditions are very tough.
“It was a game of inches. We have two really important smothers where guys with Richmond-man behaviours put the pressure on as best they can and they get two crucial touches.”
Hardwick is hopeful Dustin Martin will be back from illness for next weekend's clash against Geelong, while Noah Balta looks set to miss time after re-injuring his hamstring.
Meanwhile, Voss lamented Carlton’s slow start which ultimately saw them play catch-up after conceding the first six goals, but praised his side's fightback.
"The game was set up really early," Voss said.
"We certainly overused the ball a lot early. Not how we want it to come into the game especially with the conditions. When you factor in the opposition… We just fueled their game too much.
“We kept fighting right to the end. But really at the start of the game, we couldn't quite execute the way we wanted to."
Voss also confirmed key defender Sam Durdin will have his knee assessed after going off in the final term, while Jack Martin pulled up with a tight calf as the Blues injury crisis continues to worsen.
