He was first selected for the New Zealand national rugby league team in 1953 in a test series against Australia.
Bakalich played in the 1954 test series against Great Britain but was not selected for the inaugural World Cup later that year.
In 1955 Bakalich returned to the side, touring Great Britain and France.
[4] In his final game for Auckland, in 1958, he scored a length-of-the-field try against the touring Great Britain side.
[citation needed] In 2013 he was named on the wing in the Richmond rugby league club's team of the century.