RICHMOND captain Chris Newman says the club needs to have a strong focus on improving its tackling technique during the coming pre-season.

The Tigers are unable to qualify for the finals despite a dominant 45-point win against Essendon on Friday night.

Newman said the Tigers were disappointed with the low tackle count of 43 against the Bombers and admitted the club needed to address this area if they were to progress.

"Our tackle count, throughout the season, probably hasn't been as high as what we would've liked," Newman told ABC Radio on Saturday.

"We actually missed a lot tackles early on in the game and that's really disappointing.

"That's something that we try to pride ourselves on, but I think there's no doubt that there'll be an emphasis on tackling throughout the summer."

Although frustrated by the inability to feature in September, Newman praised a number of his younger teammates for the club's improvement this year.

"We are taking baby steps; obviously it would've been nice to play finals this year, but I think we've bridged the gap."

The Tigers skipper highlighted the performances of defenders Steve Morris and Brandon Ellis, in particular.

"I speak about Steve Morris quite a bit. He's one of those guys that really surprises me how he can have such a big impact and the way he goes about it.

"He (Morris) really does lead the way in our contested footy and in the way he puts his head over it.

"I think Brandon Ellis is another one that has stepped in and played a vital role for us."