Matt Hill’s hectic weekend: Four flights, two AFL games in Gather Round and 10-race Bendigo card

Matt Hill has a heavy workload combining his race calling and AFL commentary duties, and this week’s Gather Round presents an extra challenge. But he “wouldn’t want it any other way”.

Melbourne racecaller and popular AFL commentator Matt Hill has four flights, two Gather Round fixtures and a 10-race card at Bendigo to get through across 96 hours.

The versatile broadcaster, who called eight races at Sandown on Wednesday, “wouldn’t want it any other way”.

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“I like the fact I go from one bubble to another, it keeps me fresh,” Hill said.

“Also, I think if you’re working more it keeps you in the rhythm of it, so that doesn’t bother me.

“They’re two completely separate disciplines really, race broadcasting you’re on an island on your own, you’re it, you can’t tap anyone in and basically the pressure is on you.

“Whereas in a football sense you’ve got a team around you and you play your role.”

Hill has juggled racing and AFL roles with aplomb in recent years and earned plaudits from footy fans and pundits, especially with greater exposure on Fox Footy, calling every Thursday night and Sunday.

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The accomplished broadcaster, who has boasts an excellent rhythm, cadence and accuracy, would usually call Friday night footy for SEN but not this week.

“Radio football and TV football are two separate things,” Hill said.

“The skill sets overlap but you have to describe more on radio and I think TV you got to have the discipline to woo back a bit and not overdo it, let the picture tell the story.”

Matt Hill loves calling the racing and AFL even with the heavy workload.

Hill completed his study for Thursday night’s Adelaide-Geelong blockbuster last Tuesday.

He boned up on Bendigo commitments after the Sandown races yesterday and by Friday has Sunday GWS Giants-St Kilda homework done.

“I’ve got a set of notes I’ll add to each week for each team, so I’m adding as the weeks go on and then for Saturday racing I’ll look at Bendigo today (Wednesday),” Hill said.

“Usually I’m working three days ahead, by the time I get to Friday I’ll have a look at Sunday footy because otherwise you just run out of time.

“Basically my schedule for 25 weeks is as many race meetings as I’m required to do and three footy games.”

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Hill has a rolling contract with Racing Victoria and insatiable appetite for sport’s broadcasting.

“It’s only six months of the year and racing is a great love of mine,” Hill said.

“I love doing what I do, at the moment I can handle both, I’m lucky, I’m lucky 25 years ago with footy on Saturdays racecallers wouldn’t be able to do football because it was all on a Saturday.

“Now, if anything, the Saturday slot racing has got has been completely left by all other sports so you can do double headers, I’m lucky in the respect it’s spread out more.

“I’m in my 40s now, full of vitality to call the races and plenty more to achieve.”

Originally published as Matt Hill’s hectic weekend: Four flights, two AFL games in Gather Round and 10-race Bendigo card