OLYMPIC Rugby gold medallist Chloe Dalton will play VFLW for Carlton this season with a view to joining the Blues’ AFLW side for 2019.

The 24-year-old claimed gold with the Australian Rugby Sevens side in Rio in 2016 and was named player’s player of the year last season.

The multiskilled Dalton — she also played WNBL for Sydney Flames from 2012 to 2014 — took a break from rugby at the end of last season and while she’d been watching the AFLW, former Carlton recruiter Graham Burgen had also been watching her and invited her to trial at Ikon Park.

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She will be joined at the Blues by her former Rugby Sevens teammate Brooke Walker, who was a travelling emergency at the Rio Games.

“I was tossing up between a couple of different clubs, but decided to go with Carlton after seeing what a great club it was,” Dalton said.

“I just loved watching (AFLW) ... I thought it would be an awesome opportunity just to have a crack and get out there and give it a go.

media_camera Olympic gold medallist Chloe Dalton is playing VFLW for Carlton. Picture: David Caird

“ ... After getting advice from a few different people about learning the game, they said it’d be a really good environment to play in the VFL because of the standard of the competition.

“I’ve got a background in basketball and combined with rugby, a couple of people had made comment ‘I think you might go OK in AFL is you were ever to give it a crack’.

“It was always a bit of a running joke and I never thought I’d actually do it.

“When the opportunity came for a trial and I knew Carlton was interested, it all fell into place. It’s been an awesome few months.

“My goal is to play AFLW. To learn the game this VFL season and work really hard there and try to earn my spot into the AFLW list hopefully as a rookie.”

NSW immigrant Dalton, at 180cm and 72kg, was a conversion specialist in rugby and had a brilliant drop kick.

media_camera Gold medallists Ellia Green and Chloe Dalton celebrate in Rio.

“It’s quite a different technique that I’ve been trying to learn with the AFL kick,” she said.

“Obviously it doesn’t have the ball dropping to bounce before you kick it, so I’ve got to get myself out of that habit.

Dalton will miss this weekend’s opening round of VFLW but is expected to make her debut in Round 2.

She graduated with her physiotherapy degree after six years and will combine work and playing football in Melbourne

Dalton gave up the base average wage for an Australian contracted Rugby Seven player of about $44,500 to chase her AFLW dream.

“That was something that I definitely had to consider, it was a real privilege to be a full-time professional athlete,” she said.

media_camera Australia's Chloe Dalton tackles Canada's Jennifer Kish during the HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series semi-final at Allianz Stadium, Sydney. Picture: Brett Costello

“Looking at the AFLW, the way it’s going, it’s just going to continue to progress.

“Over them it’s just going to build.”

With the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, Dalton said she hadn’t ruled out a return to Rugby.

“I know the doors still open for going back to Rugby Sevens so I haven’t really made my mind up,” she said.

“My main focus is on the AFL at the moment and we will see how that goes but I won’t shut off that option for Tokyo 2020.”

VFLW SQUADS

Richmond’s VFLW side has snared Collingwood AFLW ruck Emma King for the state league’s season.

The VFLW kicks off this weekend and while big name AFLW players Daisy Pearce and Mo Hope aren’t in the initial squads, a host of stars will play in the second-tier league.

King will be joined at the Tigers by Magpies’ teammates Amelia Barden and Lauren Tesoriero.

Other Magpies to play for a rival include Jess Duffin and talented forward Jasmine Garner, who will both play for Williamstown. Mel Kuys will play for Hawthorn.

Standalone club Darebin has lost Katie Brennan and Libby Birch to the Western Bulldogs and Darcy Vescio and Lauren Arnell to the Blues, but have maintained Karen Paxman, Nicole Callinan, Brooke Patterson, Elise O’Dea, Aasta O’Connor and Lauren Pearce.

They also welcome Hannah Mouncey, who the AFL rule ineligible to play in the AFLW last season.

Hawthorn has recruited AFLW players Kuys, Phoebe McWilliams, Pepa Randall and Meg Hutchins.

The NT Thunder will also field a strong side in the competition with Adelaide AFLW players Chelsea Randall, Jess Sedunary, Sarah Allan and Dana Cox the standout senior players.

St Kilda - called the Southern Saints, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon and Richmond are fielding sides in the VFLW for the first time while Box Hill is now known as Hawthorn.

The VU Western Spurs are now the Western Bulldogs.

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