Co-captain Will Laws said the team had been working towards this tournament for a long time.
"It has been a multi-year plan.
"We’ve always had this goal to go to the Gold Coast."
A core group of players stayed together for about six years.
"And we have been building up to make that step over to [Australia]."
Team members had been working hard to raise funds for their trip, including running a skill centre at their club for younger players aged 6 to 12.
Other members took up after-school jobs and one enterprising player, Elliot Deaker, raised about to $2700 by chopping firewood.
"I have been doing it once a week since January," Elliot said.
The team are buzzing after becoming the Football South under-15 football development league champions, beating teams from across Otago and Southland.
Coach Murray Devereux said the development league consisted of the best teams in Dunedin, as well as representative teams from Southland, Timaru, Wanaka and Queenstown.
Maori Hill have racked up an impressive record during the development league games.
Out of 15 games played, they won 14, drew zero and lost one.
Their final game in the league is on Saturday against South Canterbury Football, taking place in Timaru.
