The club was formed in November 1916, and was one of the original foundation clubs. Waratah is the only Club with an involvement in every year the competition has been played in Darwin.
The Waratah FC has won 15 League Premierships (including 3 consecutive Premierships from 1928/29 to 1930/31) 12 Reserves Premierships and 2 Under 18 Premierships.
The League side broke a 21-year drought in the 1998/99 season to win the League Premiership and followed this up with a back-to-back Premiership in 1999/2000. The Reserve Grade won the Premiership for 3 consecutive years over this period with Premiership wins in 1997/98, 1998/99 and 1999/2000, and again last season.
The prestigious AFLNT Nichols Medal has been won by 8 legends of the Club, with one of these players to have won dual medals. Denis Ganley 1951/52, Bluey McKee 1952/53, Bill James 1953/54, Jim Wilson 1960/61, Bertram Kantilla 1962/63, Keith Nickels 1971/72, Hank McPhee 1979/80, Peter Ivanoff 1981/82 and 1986/87.
Notable Waratah players in the AFL such as Essendon's Dean Rioli.
Club song
It’s a grand old flag
It’s a high flying flag
It’s an emblem for which we will fight
It’s the emblem of the team we love
The team of the red and the white
Every eye gleams bright
For the red and the white
As we sing this song to you
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
Keep your eye on the red and the white.
