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AFL's massive call after score review confusion

St Kilda defender Dougal Howard (pictured right diving) towards the ball.
Melbourne ace Christian Petracca produced a remarkable snap but confusion ensued when St Kilda defender Dougal Howard (pictured right diving) claimed he touched the ball. (Images: Fox Sports)

The AFL will install goal-line cameras at all venues for the rest of the season after a score review flashpoint in Alice Springs.

Melbourne's three-point defeat of St Kilda on Saturday night came with a controversial score review in the last quarter.

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Melbourne ace Christian Petracca produced a remarkable snap midway through the final quarter which bounced through the Traeger Park goals.

The goal umpire made a soft call of a goal despite protests from St Kilda defender Dougal Howard, who was adamant he touched the ball before it crossed the line.

The incident was referred to a score review and replays were inconclusive, so the initial call of a goal stood.

Traeger Park did not have cameras on goal posts but league headquarters backed the contentious call.

"The AFL fully supports the decisions of the goal umpire and the score reviewer in the circumstances during last night's game at TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs," the league said in a statement on Sunday.

"The AFL advises all venues hosting AFL matches for the rest of the premiership season, including finals, will have goal-line cameras installed, ensuring the best available vision and consistent technology is in place for each of the remaining games."

Goodwin wants decision on use of score review

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said the AFL should scrap score reviews if technology can't provide definitive verdicts.

While Saturday night's review went Melbourne's way, Goodwin remains uneasy with the system.

"If we can't get the technology to the point where you can make accurate calls, it's better off not having it," he said.

Goodwin said the system was designed to correct "the real obvious" errors.

"But when you're trying to pick up touched ones from a fair way out or right on the goal-line, you need the technology there at every venue," he said.

St Kilda coach Brett Ratten said because Traeger Park didn't have cameras on goal posts "there's no real review here".

Ratten said the AFL must decide "whether they want to put the money and the resources into it or just back in the goal umpire".

"That (incident) is just one, it might happen to your team once for the year or a couple of times, so it's up to the AFL to make that call," he said.