Dillon represented the Leinster inter-provincial team on a number of occasions throughout his career, winning Railway Cup medals in 1965 and 1972.
Three years later in 1959, Dillon was at full back on the St Lachtain's junior hurling team that contested the county championship final in that grade.
Once again it was a Thomastown selection that provided the opposition, however, after facing defeat to their old rivals at under-age levels, Dillon won a county junior championship title following a 4–7 to 4–2 victory.
[3] Dillon's success at the club level brought him to the attention of the Kilkenny minor hurling selectors and he joined the team in 1955.
Dillon's first senior outing in a Kilkenny jersey was against Waterford in a tournament game in 1960, however, it took him another few years to gain a permanent foothold in the county team.
[4] Staunch local rivals Tipperary later provided the opposition in the All-Ireland final, however, Kilkenny were the pundits' favourites to retain the title.
In spite of this two goals by Colm Sheehan and a third from John O'Halloran gave Cork a merited 3–9 to 1–10 victory over an Eddie Keher-inspired Kilkenny.
The following year Kilkenny continued their provincial dominance with Dillon picking up a third Leinster title before lining out in a third All-Ireland final at Croke Park.
Tipperary were Kilkenny's opponents on the day, however, by this stage Tipp's pool of players was ageing and the county's hurling fortunes were in decline.
Goals from Paddy Moran, Martin Brennan and Tom Walsh at vital times laid to rest a bogey that Tipperary had over Kilkenny since 1922.
Wexford put an end to Kilkenny's hopes of retaining the title in 1968, however, the Noresiders bounced back the following year with Dillon collecting a fourth Leinster medal.
For a while it looked as if the Leesiders would triumph over their great rivals once again, however, five points from Kilkenny in the last seven minutes gave Dillon a second All-Ireland winners' medal.
As the first All-Ireland final to be broadcast in colour by Telefís Éireann, the nation saw Eddie Keher score a remarkable 2–11 and still end up on the losing side.
Drastic action was required and Kilkenny's star forward Eddie Keher was deployed closer to the Cork goal.