A QANFL club for Sandgate was proposed as early as March 1933 with at least four local schools taking up the code.

[1] Sandgate was founded in 1933 and joined the QANFL that year[2] but would continue for only one season before going dormant.

Due to fall outs between the administrators of Sandgate and Windsor Zillmere, Sandgate split from the arrangement and returned to play as a member of the now defunct Brisbane Football League winning back to back premierships in 1993 and 1994.

Sandgate's most successful era was the 1970s when they won four premierships and participated in the finals of every season.

A revamped club, Sandgate AFC, currently competes in the Pineapple Hotel Cup division of the Queensland State Football League (QSFL) Brisbane Lions ruckman Jamie Charman is the club's number one ticket holder.