The West Townsville Australian Football Club was formed in 1969 at a meeting at the Vale Hotel and consisted mainly of a breakaway group of players from the Hermit Park and Currajong Football Clubs and several RAAF players. 

The Bulldogs played their first match in the Townsville AFL in 1970 and won their first Seniors Premiership in 1971. The next Seniors Premiership came eight years later in 1980. In total the Seniors have played in 20 Grand Finals and have won on nine occasions. The Senior side has had a record equalling eight appearances playing in eight successive Grand Finals 1987 to 1994 The Reserve team also has an impressive record in Grand Final appearances. 

The Bulldogs first fielded a Reserves side in 1971 and won their first Reserves Premiership in 1977. 
The West Townsville Junior Football Club was formed in 1974 and have been a strength in the Townsville Junior competition ever since. 

The Seniors side had the tag of easy beats throughout the 80's as they lost seven preliminary finals in a row whilst the Reserves dominated much of the 80's and early 90's. 

In 1980 the Bulldogs were the first club in Townsville to clinch the "Grand Final Double" where both the Reserves and Seniors won the Premierships. The Club has repeated the Double on four occasions. In 1980 the Bulldogs broke a record five Grand Final winning streak by Currajong AFC. 

Since the formation of the Bulldogs the club has forged a strong association with the members of the Australian Defence Forces. The Bulldogs trained for many seasons at the RAAF Oval on Ingham Road. 

In 1980 the Junior Committee secured a lease on a block of land "out in the sticks" off the Thuringowa Shire Council and the West Townsville Sporting Association was formed. This association made up of both Junior & Senior representatives went on to build a clubhouse at Pioneer Park. This clubhouse was affectionately named the "Doghouse" and was the "Home of the Bulldogs" until the commencement of the construction of the Riverway Stadium in July 2006. 

In 2001 the members of the West Townsville Australian Football Club voted unanimously to join with the Thuringowa City Council and commit to the Riverway Project with the goal of being a tenant of the International Standard Stadium, now know as the Tony Ireland Stadium. 

In 2002 the members of the West Townsville Australian Football Club made the monumental decision to change the name and identity of the club to the Thuringowa Bulldogs Australian Football Club. 

In 2010, the Bulldogs celebrated 40 years in the Townsville Australian Football League competition. The major highlights of the season were the 40th reunion official function, held at the Southbank Conference Centre in Palmer Street and winning both the Senior and Reserves 2010 premierships. A feat the Club repeated in 2014.