In 1935, Bawden played 16 games with Victorian Football Association (VFA) club Oakleigh.
He returned to Morwell and played in their premiership and won the 1937 Rodda Memorial Gold Medal in the Central Gippsland Football Association[3][4][5] before joining Richmond in 1939.
Over the course of his career there Bawden acted as second ruckman to Richmond great Jack Dyer.
When not rucking he was used in the forward pocket and was a member of Richmond's 1943 VFL premiership team.
From 1946 onwards for a few years he played for City and then Cornwall in the Northern Tasmanian Football Association (NTFA).