The experienced backman, who crossed from Port Adelaide at the end of last season, said the players remained positive despite criticism of the Tigers' performances against better teams.
But he insisted they were on the right track despite losses to Fremantle, Geelong and Essendon, and Collingwood, which is behind Richmond only on percentage.
"I think we've got a little bit of room for improvement in certain areas, but I think that we've been able to match it," Chaplin said.
"Against Geelong, they kicked six goals in a row and we couldn't stem the flow, they just had their hands on the footy, but for the rest of the game, we matched it with them.
"It was just a period of time and the same thing happened against Collingwood and Essendon on the weekend.
"We've got to learn as a group to stand up and stem the flow and really take the game on, don't go into our shell, and we've got to be confident in our game-plan.
"I still think this group is heading in the right direction. We're 5-4, we're still ahead of the ledger, and there's probably six or seven teams that are going to be fighting to get into the eight, so we've got make the most of our opportunities and take them when they come.
"We're building something special at this football club; we just need to tick off a few more areas before we can really match it with the big boys."
Tackling is on the agenda this week, with the Tigers aware they're trailing the rest of the competition.
The Tigers have laid 461 tackles for the season to be ranked 18th, behind even Greater Western Sydney, which has racked up 482 despite failing to win a game.
The Sydney Swans lead the competition with 653.
"It's being played out in the media a fair bit and we recognise we're last in the competition, so it's an area we really need to improve," Chaplin said.
"No doubt in the next couple of weeks we'll do a fair bit of work.
"I think 'Choco' [assistant coach Mark Williams] is pretty adamant he wants to take that sort of role and be recognised as that being his little baby now, so no doubt the boys will do some tackling today and in the main session on Friday.
"It's an area we need to improve at because if you're not tackling, the opposition are just having a free rein of footy and just moving through so it's an area we will look at."
Chaplin said improvement had to come from the team's "middle tier" players to arrest the lapses that were costing them in games.
"We know what we're going to get out of our leaders week in, week out, but it's probably the 12 or 13 other guys," he said.
"You can probably give exception to the younger guys, the Nick Vlastuins and Brandon Ellises, who are in the second and first year.
"Probably the core group have got to play consistent footy week in, week out, and I think that's with every team.
"To be successful, you've got to have those guys playing a 7/10 every week - you can't have inconsistencies in your form. otherwise you drop off."
Chaplin said Brett Deledio, who hurt his knee in the second quarter of Saturday night's loss to the Bombers, was expecting to be available to face West Coast on Monday night at Patersons Stadium.
Deledio was cleared of structural damage but appeared sore after the game.
He was a no-show at training on Wednesday while Jack Riewoldt, Daniel Jackson, Robbie Nahas and Sam Lonergan were among those on light duties.
