Richmond vice-captain Tim Taranto has declared his disappointment following a "really tough" season, which saw the Club render three victories.

But for the star midfielder, the difficulty of managing a losing season has also given him the tools to navigate back to success in 2027.

"Frustrating is probably the best word for the season. It was a really, really tough year, probably one of the harder years of my career to be honest," Taranto said.

"A lot of injuries, a lot of new players coming in and out [making it] really hard to gel together as a team. You don't want to use injuries as an excuse, but it genuinely made the season really, really tough.

"It all needs to improve really, it's not one thing. This off-season is going to be really important. The boys have to get their bodies right, have a full pre-season. That will give us a good shot next year."

Taranto truly led from the front all year long, playing 21 matches and averaging 24.8 disposals and 6.4 clearances a game, while gaining plenty of important lessons along the way.

"[I learned that] you've got to show up and be consistent with your energy, intent and effort, which I'd say we did pretty well. There wasn't too many times where that was questioned throughout the whole year. I thought we had a crack," he said.

"Every game we rocked up with a good attitude, but the execution is the main thing, and we didn't do that.

"It was a really tough year. Hopefully it was the low and we can bounce back and climb the ladder next year."

Players who showed improvement alongside Taranto included the late-season rise of speedster Taj Hotton, who was impressive and showed glimpses of what's to come with his ball hunting ability.

"He probably came in almost not ready for AFL at the later end of the year. He had a really serious injury and didn't get any match exposure, but I'm glad, because he just showed what he can do," Taranto said.

"I think that's going to make him go [up] next season."

Young star Sam Lalor is another one who didn't get a proper chance to complete a full 2026 season due to injury, which Taranto admits "disappointed" him, knowing what the No.1 pick is capable of.

"I was really disappointed with [Lalor's] injuries, because in pre-season, I was like, 'this guy is going to be our best player and help us a lot'. Then he had a few serious injuries that stagnated him. He's got all the tools, he just needs to stay fit," he said.

Taranto also backed in senior coach Adem Yze, who he believes continues to lead the group in the right direction.

"One of his best qualities is his energy and connection. Everyday he's the same. He doesn't waver or get down in the dumps when things aren't going well, which is important for a head coach," Taranto said.

"It's such a hard job and if they ride the emotional wave like a lot of us [players] do and the fans do, they can spiral pretty quickly. The way he led this year was exceptional. I saw a lot of growth in all areas.

"If we keep that up, he and the players will be fine."