Can Balard follow in Culina's footsteps?

Michael Lynch: Max Balard's career progression bears quite a similarity to one of the golden generation's unsung heroes. Can he build on that beginning to become a Socceroo regular

How Australia could do with a holding - or as some might call it these days a controlling - midfielder of the calibre of Jason Culina, one of the unsung heroes of the Golden Generation which put Australia on the World Cup map nearly 20 years ago.

Culina cut his teeth in the old NSL with Sydney United before moving to the Netherlands, making his name at one of the middle-ranking clubs, FC Twente, before building to the most successful years of his career through a move to one of Dutch football's heavyweight clubs, PSV Eindhoven, where he was coached by Guus Hiddink.

Max Balard is a long way off from achieving anything to match the best moments of Culina's career, but his trajectory so far bears an uncanny similarity.

The young defensive midfielder enjoyed, like Culina, a successful development period in the Australian game - more so, in fact, in that he was an integral part of the Central Coast Mariners side that won back-to-back A-League championships in 2023 and 2024.

As good as Culina's Sydney United team were, they could not manage an NSL championship win, losing in two grand finals to Brisbane Strikers (1997) and South Melbourne (1999).

Balard then followed in Culina's footsteps, moving to The Netherlands where he has begun to make a name for himself in another mid-ranking team, NAC Breda.

The pair play the same position and the younger man is following a similar pathway: should he build on the good impression he has made in his first season with NAC, where he has played 12 games so far this season and won his first Socceroo call up, he too may become a target for one of the Eredivisie's big teams, PSV, Feyenoord or Ajax.

Balard (now 23) was not born when Culina was starting to make his name in the European game but he has certainly made himself a fan favourite very early with NAC's fans, who have dubbed him the ''Aussie Kante'' - a tribute to the way in which he covers the ground, gets involved in the game defensively as well as offensively and is not afraid to tackle and challenge players in any area of the park.

''Kante is a top player, I must say. But I'm very flattered. I'm just doing my job over there, the coach has given me a lot of confidence.

"The supporters have been amazing as well, making me feel at home over there.

"When you're by yourself on the other side of the world, it can be a bit tough sometimes, but for me, it's been very easy. I can't complain."

"The Eredivisie is a great league, very technical, but don't underestimate the physicality of it as well," he says.

Could Balard take this chance to nail down not just a regular spot in the squad but become that important pivot linking defence and attack?

Certainly, his own assessments of his strengths suggest that he might well give Socceroos coach Tony Popovic something to think about.

''My biggest strength is that I am comfortable on the ball. I like to receive the ball under pressure sometimes and I am also hard-working defensively, and hopefully that will help them do their job up top.''

He still has some way to match Culina's exploits - he was an ever-present in all four World Cup games in 2006 and was part of the PSV squad that reached the Champions League semi-final a year earlier.

But no one can say he hasn't given himself every chance...