Teacher tackling new role with major football, netball league

Now he's ready to tackle a new challenge as its administration officer.

Hill, 40, has taken over the position from Mike Farrow who stood down at the end of the 2023 season.

The league announced Hill's appointment at its annual general meeting on Monday, December 11.

The avid Geelong fan and father-of-three, who has worked as a primary school teacher for the past six years, said he was eager to immerse himself in the full-time role.

"The position of the league at the moment is really exciting," he told The Standard.

"This year was probably the most competitive year we've seen for some time and we had the inclusion of the under 23 (interleague) comp and with Browny (Jonathan Brown) over the last few years (as coach), I just feel there's a good vibe with the Hampden Football Netball League at the moment."

"In the netball as well, it was one of the better seasons we've seen in the open division."

Hill - dad to Levi, 6, Arlo, 3, and Ned, 18 months and husband to Bridget - played in the league as a junior with South Warrnambool before finishing his career with Warrnambool and District league club South Rovers, winning a reserves premiership in 2011.

The born-and-bred Warrnambool man has worked as a game-day play-by-play radio caller for the Hampden league and hopes to stay in that field while juggling his new administrative role.

It comes after a six-year stint as a teacher. Hill spent time at both Warrnambool and Merrivale primary schools.

He believes his teaching background will help ease into his new gig.

"I feel like the teaching role will fit really nicely with this one, with planning, relationship building," Hill said.

"That is the key - communication is the thing I am big on and making sure the clubs feel like they're being heard and being serviced.

"They are the major stakeholders of the league so it's going to be really important to make sure there's constant communication with them to make sure they're happy.

"We want to make sure the day-to-day running is a lot easier for them so they can just worry about the core stuff on a Saturday."