Max Balard
{{short description|Australian soccer player}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Max Balard
| fullname = Maximilien Balard{{cite web |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/maximilien-balard/643695/ |title=M. Balard: Summary |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=22 January 2024 }}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|11|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Sydney, Australia
| height = {{height|m=1.78}}{{cite web |title=Max Balard |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/max-balard/ |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=26 January 2024 |language=en}}
| position = Defensive midfielder
| currentclub = NAC Breda
| clubnumber = 16
| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Hakoah Sydney City East
| years1 = 2019–2022 | caps1 = 34 | goals1 = 3 | clubs1 = CCM Academy
| years2 = 2020–2024 | caps2 = 81 | goals2 = 3 | clubs2 = Central Coast Mariners
| years3 = 2024– | caps3 = 33 | goals3 = 1 | clubs3 = NAC Breda
| club-update = 22 May 2025
| nationalyears1 = 2025–
| nationalcaps1 = 0
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalteam1 = Australia
| nationalteam-update = 14 March 2025
}}
Maximilien Balard (born 20 November 2000) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Dutch {{Dutch football updater|NACBreda}} club NAC Breda.{{cite web |url=https://www.ccmariners.com.au/player/maximilien-balard |title=Maximilien Balard {{!}} Central Coast Mariners |website=www.ccmariners.com.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318090037/https://www.ccmariners.com.au/player/maximilien-balard |archive-date=2020-03-18}}
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.{{cite web |last1=Comito |first1=Matt |title='Bullets flying… I thought they were fireworks': A 'crazy' journey through 4 countries to Gosford |url=https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-max-balard-central-coast-grand-final-2023-details-broadcast-tickets/ |website=A-League |access-date=26 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126064017/https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-max-balard-central-coast-grand-final-2023-details-broadcast-tickets/ |archive-date=26 January 2024 |language=en-AU |date=26 May 2023}} His father was a French youth international rugby player and first came to Australia during his rehabilitation from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
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. He stayed in other countries during his childhood, namely Vietnam and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates before eventually returning to Australia.
Club career
=Central Coast Mariners=
Having come through the Central Coast Mariners Academy,{{cite web|url=https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2021/01/mariners-academy-graduates-make-their-mark/|website=Coast Community News|title=Mariners' Academy graduates make their mark|date=21 January 2021}} Balard made his professional football debut in the 2020–21 season against Macarthur FC.{{cite web|url=https://www.unsw.edu.au/news/2021/01/a-league-debuts-for-unsw-business-school-students|title=A-League debuts for UNSW Business School students|website=University of NSW}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://ccmariners.com.au/news/dan-hall-max-balard-sign-contract-extensions/|title=Dan Hall & Max Balard sign contract extensions|website=Central Coast Mariners FC|date=14 June 2022 }}
To start the 2022–23 season, Balard captained the Mariners for the first time in a 2022 Australia Cup tie against Sydney FC,{{cite web|url=https://ccmariners.com.au/news/valiant-mariners-defeated-in-dramatic-cup-thriller/|title=Valiant Mariners Defeated In Dramatic Cup Thriller|website=Central Coast Mariners FC|date=31 July 2022}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://ccmariners.com.au/news/mariners-win-the-2022-23-a-league-grand-final/|title=Mariners win the 2022/23 A-League Grand Final|website=Central Coast Mariners FC|date=6 June 2023}}
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.{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-02/central-coast-mariners-secure-a-league-men-premiers-plate/103793606|title=Central Coast Mariners secure A-league Men's premier's plate with win over Adelaide United|website=ABC News (Australia)|date=2 February 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-06/central-coast-mariners-win-afc-cup/103808036|title=Central Coast Mariners become first Australian club to win AFC Cup|website=ABC News (Australia)|date=6 May 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2024/05/mariners-defeat-victory-in-inspirational-grand-final-showdown/|title=Mariners defeat Victory in inspirational Grand Final showdown|website=Coast Community News|date=27 May 2024}} Balard won the Mariners Medal as the club's best player over the season.{{cite web|url=https://ccmariners.com.au/news/historic-award-for-galic-izzy-nizzy-dominate-2024-mmd/|title=Historic award for Galic, Izzy & Nizzy dominate 2024 MMD|website=Central Coast Mariners FC|date=30 April 2024}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://ccmariners.com.au/news/treble-winning-midfielder-max-balard-departs-for-overseas-opportunity/|title=Treble winning midfielder Max Balard departs for overseas opportunity|website=Central Coast Mariners|date=2 July 2024}}
=NAC Breda=
The same day Balard left Central Coast Mariners, it was announced that he joined Dutch club NAC Breda on a three-year contract.{{cite web|url=https://www.nac.nl/nieuws/nac-strikt-max-balard|title= NAC strikt Max Balard |trans-title=NAC snares Max Balard|language=nl|website=NAC Breda|date=2 July 2024}}
Personal life
Balard attended Freshwater Senior Campus, where he graduated with an ATAR of 94.2.{{cite web |title=Balard finishes degree after striking balance between football and studies |url=https://ccmariners.com.au/news/balard-finishes-degree-after-striking-balance-between-football-and-studies |publisher=Central Coast Mariners |access-date=26 January 2024 |date=5 May 2023}} He graduated from the University of New South Wales in 2023 with a double degree in Economics and Commerce after 4 years of study.{{cite web |title=Elite Athlete Spotlight: Max Balard |url=https://www.sport.unsw.edu.au/news/elite-athlete-spotlight-max-balard |publisher=University of New South Wales |access-date=5 June 2023}} 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.
In addition to his native English, Balard also speaks French, and has learned Spanish.{{cite web |title=Max Balard – the multilingual midfielder with a double-degree and Olyroos ambitions |date=16 May 2023 |url=https://pfa.net.au/news/max-balard-the-multilingual-midfielder-with-a-double-degree-and-olyroos-ambitions/ |publisher=Professional Footballers Australia |access-date=5 June 2023}}
Career statistics
{{updated|22 May 2025}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" |Club ! rowspan="2" |Season ! colspan="3" |League ! colspan="2" |Cup ! colspan="2" |Continental ! colspan="2" |Total | ||||||||
| Division
!Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan=4|Central Coast Mariners Academy
|2019 |10 |0 |colspan="2" |— |colspan="2" |— |10 |0 | ||||||||
| 2020
|NPL NSW Men's 2 |12 | 3 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 12 | 3 | |||
| 2021
|NPL NSW Men's 2 |11 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 11 | 0 | |||
| colspan=2|Total | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 3 |
| rowspan="5" |Central Coast Mariners
|5 |0 |colspan="2" |— |colspan="2" |— |5 |0 | ||||||||
| 2021–22
| rowspan="1" |A-League Men |21 |0 |4 |1 |colspan="2" |— |25 |1 | ||||||||
| 2022–23
|A-League Men |26 |0 |1 |0 | colspan="2" |— |27 |0 | ||||||||
| 2023–24
|A-League Men |29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 43 | 3 | |
| colspan="2" |Total
!81 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 100 | 4 | |
| NAC Breda
|33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 34 | 1 | ||
| colspan="3" |Career total
!147 !7 !7 !1 !13 !0 !167 !8 |
Honours
Central Coast Mariners
- A-League Men Championship: 2022–23, 2023–24
- A-League Men Premiership: 2023–24
- AFC Cup: 2023–24
Individual
- Mariners Medal: 2024
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway|maximilien-balard/643695}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{NAC Breda squad}}
{{Central Coast Mariners FC Player of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balard, Max}}
Category:Central Coast Mariners FC players
Category:Central Coast Mariners Academy players
Category:Australian men's soccer players
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:National Premier Leagues players
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)