The Wynyard Football Club, which now bears the town's name was originally in fact known as Table Cape, and is believed to have been formed around 1885. In 1890 it adopted its current name, and proved successful in a variety of competitions over the next three and a half decades before entering one of Tasmania's 3 major club competitions, the NWFU, in 1925.

Wynyard struggled to cope with this higher standard of football and midway through the 1932 season, confronted by severe financial difficulties because of the Depression, opted to go temporarily into recession before resuming in the less onerous environment of junior competition. Finding this level more to their liking, the blue and whites contested 7 consecutive grand finals in 3 different Leagues between 1934 and 1940, emerging victorious 4 of them. After the inevitable disruptions brought about by World War Two Wynyard was ready to take a second stab at football at the highest level available to it, and in 1946 it resumed its participation in the NWFU. Three years later it played off in its first NWFU grand final, losing narrowly to Devonport, and as the 1950s dawned the club was blessed with arguably the finest list of players in its history. Among the champions to don the Wynyard colours during this era were 1953 Wander Medallist Darrell Eaton, productive full forward Ray Rocher, triple club champion 'Bill' Baker, Glen French, Barry Flint, and the indefatigable Len Hayes, who "many say.....was the most reliable footballer to pull on a pair of boots in the coastal competition". With such talent at their disposal it is small wonder that the Cats were finally able to break through for a flag, beating Ulverstone 9.12 (66) to 7.14 (56) in the grand final of 1952. Possible further glory was denied the club when the state premiership was not contested. It would be another 14 years before Wynyard were finally given the opportunity to play off for the state title and the controversy generated by that 1967 encounter with North Hobart resonates to this day.

Wynyard's 1967 premiership was won by 6 goals at the expense of Cooee. The Cats of this period boasted some fine players, including full forward John Coughlan, who booted 75 majors in 1967 and 88 the following year to top the League goal kicking list, John Neal who won the 1968 Alstergen Trophy as the NWFU's best player in the annual intra-state series, dual club best and fairest winner David Cox, Kayden Edwards, Geoff Gaby and Kevin King. Somewhat surprisingly, however, the Cats failed to build on their 1967 success, and other than a losing grand final against Latrobe in 1970 it would be another 8 seasons before they again seriously challenged for the premiership

In 1975 Wynyard once again had a strong team in which Ricky Smith was the undoubted star. Wander Medallist in 1977, Smith also won the 1976 Alstergen Trophy, was a regular Tasmanian interstate representative, and was 4 times voted the club's champion player. Against Ulverstone in that year's grand final the Cats won with a fair degree of comfort, 15.10 (100) to 12.8 (80), but the state premiership again eluded them.

Wynyard's 4th and final NWFU premiership came in 1979 after a resounding 21.24 (150) to 15.7 (97) grand final defeat of Cooee. The previous year had seen the Cats kick themselves out of contention in classic fashion when it counted; despite managing 43 scoring shots to 31 in the grand final against Cooee they still somehow contrived to lose by 25 points.

Since the Tasmanian football map was comprehensively re-drawn in 1987 Wynyard have competed in the NTFL, but so far without adding to its tally of senior premierships. The closest it has managed to get was in 1995 when it topped the ladder after the roster matches but lost the grand final by 30 points to Ulverstone. A second consecutive grand final in 1996 brought an even more emphatic defeat, again at the hands (or should that be claws?) of the Robins, this time by 62 points.