The players’ trip to Rio de Janeiro might have come to an end, but the experience and memories will be with the nine Tigers that travelled to the Brazilian city forever.

Richmond midfielder Daniel Jackson said the players had an amazing time in Rio during their trip, ‘Changing the Score’, a project in partnership with RMIT, Bluestone Edge and Brazilian organisation, IBISS, which explores how sport can play a role in bringing communities and cultures together.

The players delved into the ‘favelas’, some of the more dangerous areas of Rio, where crime, drugs and violence are big issues within the community.

Click here to view more videos and articles from the players’ trip to Rio.

However, Jackson believes that footballs were the players’ “greatest weapon”, which helped bring the community together.

Over the course of the eight-day program, the players participated in a number of activities with the young people from the favelas, including kicking soccer balls, learning dance, boxing, mixed martial arts and, of course, showing them Australian football.

“(It’s about) getting the kids in the fevalas back onto the right path. Take them out of the drugs, the guns, the crime, the violence and just get them to be young people again,” Jackson said in an interview with Fox Sports News.

“None of us have ever been to Brazil before… we couldn’t have found a group of people and a culture so more closely linked to ours, or sharing so many similarities. They love sport, they love a good time, they love being outdoors and they love a laugh.”

Jackson also said that although the players found themselves in some rough areas of Rio, many stereotypes were broken when they realised how friendly the locals were.

“They’ve been very, very kind and generous.  Multiple times they’ve put on barbeques for us and taught us to dance,” Jackson said.

Click on the player above to watch the video of Daniel Jackson in Rio.