Without career prospects outside of sport, Wills joined the MCC as a professional at the start of the 1867–68 season; however, he was not openly referred to as such.
Instead, the club devised the title of 'tutor' in order that he maintain the prestige of his amateur background.

Played on the MCG, the December 1867 intercolonial between Victoria and New South Wales ended in a sound victory for the former, principally due to Wills' nine-wicket haul and Richard Wardill's century.
Wills had been Victoria's preferred captain for over a decade.
Writing in his sports column, Hammersley claimed that, as a paid cricketer, Wills lacked "moral ascendancy" over amateurs.
When he lost the captaincy to Wardill, an amateur, on the eve of the March 1869 match against New South Wales, he refused to play under him, or, indeed, anyone else.
The Victorians condemned Wills and resolved to go on without him, after which he retracted his decision not to play.
This was the last intercolonial played on the Domain and Victoria recovered from Wardill's diamond duck to win by 78 runs.
Wills scalped 7 wickets in a single innings.

After the intercolonial, Wills announced that he would not play for Victoria again, even if the colony wanted him.
He planned to return to Cullin-la-ringo in early 1869, but his mother, still "very dissatisfied" with him, requested that he stay away from the station.
The MCC took him back and he continued to act as a tutor with the club.
Wills' former Aboriginal teammates, Mullagh and Cuzens, joined him at the MCC as paid bowlers.

Wills' physical appearance had deteriorated; gaining weight, balding and generally unkempt, with "an alcoholic blush of his cheeks", he looked older than his years.
Describing his body as "stiff" during a cricket match in 1870, he hinted, for the first time, that his talent was fading.
Without career prospects outside of sport, Wills joined the MCC as a professional at the start of the 1867–68 season; however, he was not openly referred to as such. Instead, the club devised the title of 'tutor' in order that he maintain the prestige of his amateur background.
Played on the MCG, the December 1867 intercolonial between Victoria and New South Wales ended in a sound victory for the former, principally due to Wills' nine-wicket haul and Richard Wardill's century. Wills had been Victoria's preferred captain for over a decade. Writing in his sports column, Hammersley claimed that, as a paid cricketer, Wills lacked "moral ascendancy" over amateurs. When he lost the captaincy to Wardill, an amateur, on the eve of the March 1869 match against New South Wales, he refused to play under him, or, indeed, anyone else. The Victorians condemned Wills and resolved to go on without him, after which he retracted his decision not to play. This was the last intercolonial played on the Domain and Victoria recovered from Wardill's diamond duck to win by 78 runs. Wills scalped 7 wickets in a single innings.
After the intercolonial, Wills announced that he would not play for Victoria again, even if the colony wanted him. He planned to return to Cullin-la-ringo in early 1869, but his mother, still "very dissatisfied" with him, requested that he stay away from the station. The MCC took him back and he continued to act as a tutor with the club. Wills' former Aboriginal teammates, Mullagh and Cuzens, joined him at the MCC as paid bowlers.
Wills' physical appearance had deteriorated; gaining weight, balding and generally unkempt, with "an alcoholic blush of his cheeks", he looked older than his years. Describing his body as "stiff" during a cricket match in 1870, he hinted, for the first time, that his talent was fading.
Tom Wills