| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Maximilien Balard [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 20 November 2000 [1] | ||
| Place of birth | Sydney, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) [2] | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Central Coast Mariners | ||
| Number | 6 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hakoah Sydney City East | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
| 2019–2022 | CCM Academy | 34 | (3) |
| 2020– | Central Coast Mariners | 77 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 April 2024 | |||
Max Balard (born 20 November 2000) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Central Coast Mariners. [3]
Early life
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
Central Coast Mariners
Balard won the 2024 Mariners Medal as the club's best player across the 2023-24 season.
Personal life
Balard attended Freshwater Senior Campus, where he graduated with an ATAR of 94.2. [5] He graduated from the University of New South Wales in 2023 with a double degree in Economics and Commerce after 4 years of study. [6] 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. [5]
In addition to his native English, Balard also speaks French, and has learned Spanish. [7]
Career statistics
- As of 4 October 2023
| Club | Season | League | Australia 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 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 34 | 1 | |
| Total | 75 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 91 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 108 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 124 | 5 | ||
Honours
Central Coast Mariners
- A-League Men Championship: 2022–23
Individual
- Mariners Medal: 2024
References
- ^ a b "M. Balard: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "Max Balard". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ "Maximilien Balard | Central Coast Mariners". www.ccmariners.com.au. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Balard finishes degree after striking balance between football and studies". Central Coast Mariners. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ "Elite Athlete Spotlight: Max Balard". University of New South Wales. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
- ^ "Max Balard – the multilingual midfielder with a double-degree and Olyroos ambitions". Professional Footballers Australia. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
External links
- Max Balard at Soccerway
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