Recruited from Murray Bushrangers, at the time of the draft Hilton was recovering from injuring his ACL, the fact he would not be available to play in 1997 did not stop him being selected by the Brisbane Lions.
He played just 9 games with them in 2 seasons (making his debut in 1998), before requesting a trade closer to home.
After briefly returning home to play for Euroa, in the Goulburn Valley Football League, Rory returned to Melbourne to play with Old Camberwell Grammarians Football Club.
Playing as a key forward, Rory played a pivotal role in Camberwell's 2007 premiership team helping to elevate the club to 'B' section of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA).
Rory recently completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Property) at RMIT, Melbourne.