Richmond captain Chris Newman insists the players are still behind embattled coach Terry Wallace despite their performance during Sunday's disastrous loss to Melbourne at the MCG indicating otherwise.

The Tigers remain winless after four rounds in Wallace's fifth year in charge - a period which is yet to yield a finals berth and must do so this season in order for him to remain as coach.

Yet with so much on the line against a Melbourne side that had won just three of its past 25 matches, the Tigers were outscored eight goals to three in the second term as they went down by eight points.

First-year captain Newman, who is still yet to play in a final having debuted in 2002, admitted on Sunday night the loss was another dark day for the long-suffering Tigers.

"We have been through some dark times, we haven't had a lot of success around the club and we have been in this position before but all we can do now is fight out of it and concentrate on next week," he said.

Newman said the players still wanted Wallace - who has now won just 35 of 92 games in charge - as coach.

"Of course we are (behind him), he is our coach," Newman said of Wallace.

"He wanted us to come out here and put in a four-quarter effort and get the result for him and it's really gut-wrenching not to be able to do that."

Newman said the players deserved as much blame as Wallace for the club's poor start to a season in which so much was expected of the Tigers.

"They always point the finger at the coach and I think that's unfair," Newman said.

"It's the players as well and I am captain of the club and it starts with me."

"I put my hand up and say it's not good enough and the players are certainly taking responsibility."

"Everyone is behind him (Wallace), I'm behind him and he doesn't deserve that (performance) and neither do the supporters."

"We have been playing inconsistent football and our last-ditch effort in the last quarter wasn't good enough but if we can do it in the last quarter then why can't we do it in the first."

Newman said he believed the season was still retrievable as the pressure mounts on everyone at Punt Road.

"It's gut-wrenching, you always want to win and we are zip and four at the moment," he said.

"We know there are a lot of disappointed people out there and we feel the pressure and we understand our fans are disappointed but all we can do is stick together and fight our way out of it."

Meanwhile Wallace insisted on Sunday night he would not quit as Richmond coach.

"I wouldn't expect my players to do that (quit) and I would be a hypocrite if I turned around and did that because it's all too hard," he said.