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Max Balard

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Max Balard
Personal information
Full name Maximilien Balard[1]
Date of birth (2000-11-20) 20 November 2000 (age 23)[1]
Place of birth Sydney, Australia
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 NAC Breda
Number 16
Youth career
Hakoah Sydney City East
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2022 CCM Academy 34 (3)
2020–2024 Central Coast Mariners 81 (3)
2024– NAC Breda 9 (0)
International career‡
2024–present Australia 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 September 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 November 2024

Maximilien Balard (born 20 November 2000) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Dutch Eredivisie club NAC Breda.[3]

Early life

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Balard was born in Sydney, Australia to French parents, both of whom hailed from Annecy in Southern France and met in high school.[4] His father was a French youth international rugby player and first came to Australia during his rehabilitation from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).[4]

Balard stayed in Australia until the age of three when he moved to Malaysia, and then Sri Lanka by the age of six amidst the Sri Lankan Civil War.[4] He stayed in other countries during his childhood, namely Vietnam and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates before eventually returning to Australia.[4]

Club career

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Central Coast Mariners

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Having come through the Central Coast Mariners Academy,[5] Balard made his professional football debut in the 2020–21 season against Macarthur FC.[6] Balard properly broke through to be a regular member of the first team in the 2021–22 season, and at the end of that season signed an extension to stay with the club until the end of the 2023–24 season.[7]

To start the 2022–23 season, Balard captained the Mariners for the first time in a 2022 Australia Cup tie against Sydney FC,[8] in the interim of previous captain Oliver Bozanic leaving and next captain Danny Vukovic being yet to arrive at the club. Balard was in the starting XI for the 2023 Grand Final as the Mariners won the A-League Championship with a 6–1 victory over Melbourne City at Western Sydney Stadium.[9]

The 2023–24 season turned out to be another successful season, both individually and as a team for Balard. Balard was part of the Mariners' Championship, Premiership and AFC Cup winning 2023–24 season.[10][11][12] Balard won the Mariners Medal as the club's best player over the season.[13] In July 2024, the club revealed that Balard had signed a season long extension, however there was an agreement that he can leave on a free transfer to pursue an opportunity overseas. Owing to this agreement, Balard left the club with the club not receiving a transfer fee.[14]

NAC Breda

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The same day Balard left Central Coast Mariners, it was announced that he joined Dutch club NAC Breda on a three-year contract.[15]

Personal life

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Balard attended Freshwater Senior Campus, where he graduated with an ATAR of 94.2.[16] He graduated from the University of New South Wales in 2023 with a double degree in Economics and Commerce after 4 years of study.[17] Balard was on a scholarship during his studies which led him into the Elite Athlete Program, whom assisted in organising his exams at the University.[16]

In addition to his native English, Balard also speaks French, and has learned Spanish.[18]

Career statistics

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As of 3 July 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Central Coast Mariners Academy 2019 NPL NSW Men's 2 10 0 — — 10 0
2020 NPL NSW Men's 2 12 3 — — 12 3
2021 NPL NSW Men's 2 11 0 — — 11 0
Total 33 3 0 0 0 0 33 3
Central Coast Mariners 2020–21 A-League 5 0 — — 5 0
2021–22 A-League Men 21 0 4 1 — 25 1
2022–23 A-League Men 26 0 1 0 — 27 0
2023–24 A-League Men 29 3 1 0 13 0 43 3
Total 81 3 6 1 13 0 100 4
NAC Breda 2024–25 Eredivisie 9 0 0 0 — 9 0
Career total 123 6 6 1 13 0 142 7

Honours

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Central Coast Mariners

Individual

  • Mariners Medal: 2024

References

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  1. ^ a b "M. Balard: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Max Balard". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Maximilien Balard | Central Coast Mariners". www.ccmariners.com.au. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Comito, Matt (26 May 2023). "'Bullets flying… I thought they were fireworks': A 'crazy' journey through 4 countries to Gosford". A-League. Archived from the original on 26 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Mariners' Academy graduates make their mark". Coast Community News. 21 January 2021.
  6. ^ "A-League debuts for UNSW Business School students". University of NSW.
  7. ^ "Dan Hall & Max Balard sign contract extensions". Central Coast Mariners FC. 14 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Valiant Mariners Defeated In Dramatic Cup Thriller". Central Coast Mariners FC. 31 July 2022.
  9. ^ "Mariners win the 2022/23 A-League Grand Final". Central Coast Mariners FC. 6 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Central Coast Mariners secure A-league Men's premier's plate with win over Adelaide United". ABC News (Australia). 2 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Central Coast Mariners become first Australian club to win AFC Cup". ABC News (Australia). 6 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Mariners defeat Victory in inspirational Grand Final showdown". Coast Community News. 27 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Historic award for Galic, Izzy & Nizzy dominate 2024 MMD". Central Coast Mariners FC. 30 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Treble winning midfielder Max Balard departs for overseas opportunity". Central Coast Mariners. 2 July 2024.
  15. ^ "NAC strikt Max Balard" [NAC snares Max Balard]. NAC Breda (in Dutch). 2 July 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Balard finishes degree after striking balance between football and studies". Central Coast Mariners. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  17. ^ "Elite Athlete Spotlight: Max Balard". University of New South Wales. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Max Balard – the multilingual midfielder with a double-degree and Olyroos ambitions". Professional Footballers Australia. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
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