A talented young snooker player from New South Wales has made a strategic life decision, trading in his cue for a career in the digital frontier of cyber security.
A Natural Talent on the Green Baize
Zac Hilton's love affair with snooker began at age 11 when he first saw a table at the Fraternity Club. He knew instantly it was his sport. Receiving his own table for Christmas that year, he quickly joined a local competition and was playing in tournaments within six months, often against much older opponents, where he earned a rising star award.
His ascent was rapid. By 14, he had clinched the under-21 state championships. At 16, he made his debut at the world amateur championships, securing a top-16 finish. However, as his final school years and future career loomed, Hilton faced a difficult choice.
The Strategic Pivot: From Potting Balls to Protecting Networks
By the end of 2024, the then-teenager decided to prioritise his academic studies over the demanding travel and practice schedule of competitive snooker. "Balancing between snooker and my academics was quite a challenge," Hilton, now 18, reflected. "To have such a large workload, I ultimately had to sacrifice one, so I really took care of my academics."
That sacrifice has paid off. Hilton has been accepted into his dream course: a Bachelor of Computing Science at the University of Wollongong (UOW). His interest in cyber security was sparked nearly four years ago by early explorations into artificial intelligence, leading him to write a school thesis on the topic.
This academic curiosity was solidified by a week-long work experience program with the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) in late 2024. "Probably one of the activities that I was most interested in... was malware analysis and we did some web application security," Hilton said. "Trying to break websites and things like that. I really found heaps of enjoyment doing that. I was just addicted."
He is now eyeing a pathway in ethical hacking and has already begun building experience, having mentored kids in robotics and run cyber security webinars for the Nan Tien Institute to an international audience.
A Triumphant Return to the National Stage
Hilton hasn't left snooker behind entirely. In mid-January 2026, he made a celebrated return to competition at the Australian Billiards and Snooker Championships in Albury. Competing in the under-18 and under-21 divisions, he progressed through the group stages in both.
He reached the under-21 semi-finals, eventually being knocked out by the champion, Jayden Dinga from Queensland. Representing NSW, his team secured a semi-final victory over Victoria before falling to Queensland in the final. For his outstanding individual and team performance, Hilton was honoured with the prestigious Ron Atkins Player of the Tournament Trophy.
"It's definitely something that I was really proud of," he said of the award. Hilton noted his mindset was different this time around. "At these nationals... my mindset was better and the stress was a lot less. I just really wanted to go in there, have fun, play my own game and not be defined by the result."
He summarises his philosophy simply: "I'm not defined by snooker, but I still respect the game and I still love the game." With a national trophy on his shelf and a place at university secured, Zac Hilton is expertly navigating his future, one calculated step at a time.
