bˈɔːɹn ɪn kɹˈɪsttʃɜːtʃ, nˈuː zˈiːlənd, ʌnlˈaɪk mˈɛnɪəv hɪz pˈɪɹz, hˈæməltən dɪdnˌɑːt fˈiːtʃɚɹ ɪn ˈeɪdʒ ɡɹˈuːp tˈiːmz ɪn hɪz dɪvˈɛləpmənt jˈɪɹz.
Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, unlike many of his peers, Hamilton did not feature in age group teams in his development years.