Charlie Ballard
| Charlie Ballard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Ballard in August 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Nickname | Chook | ||
| Born | 23 July 1999 | ||
| Original team | Sturt (SANFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 42, 2017 national draft | ||
| Debut | 5 May 2018, Gold Coast vs. Western Bulldogs, at Mars Stadium | ||
| Height | 196 cm (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Weight | 95 kg (209 lb) | ||
| Position | Tall defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Gold Coast | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2018- | Gold Coast | 143 (3) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 22, 2026. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Charlie Ballard (born 23 July 1999) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Early life
Charlie participated in the Auskick program at Mitcham, South Australia.[1]
Ballard played in their under-18 premiership for the Sturt Football Club in the SANFL as well as for Sacred Heart College.[2] Standing 180cm at the time, Ballard averaged 18 disposals on the wing in the 2017 AFL Under 18 Championships, playing for South Australia. He ran 3.05 seconds in the 20 m (66 ft) sprint at the AFL Draft Combine, and was touted as a top-30 selection at the 2017 AFL draft.[3]
AFL career
Ballard was selected by Gold Coast with pick 42, their 3rd-round selection.[4]
He made his AFL debut in round 7 of the 2018 season, in the nine-point loss against the Western Bulldogs at Mars Stadium. He kicked one goal on debut.[5] Ballard's first game was praised by coach Stuart Dew, along with fellow debutant Brayden Crossley.[6]
Ballard played his 100th game in 2023. Following a successful 2024 season with the Suns, he signed a contract extension until the end of 2029.[7]
In round one of the 2025 season, Ballard suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, subsequently ruling him for the rest of the season.[8]
Statistics
Updated to the end of round 22, 2026.[9]
G |
Goals | K |
Kicks | D |
Disposals | T |
Tackles |
B |
Behinds | H |
Handballs | M |
Marks |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2018 | Gold Coast | 31 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 79 | 34 | 113 | 39 | 15 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 7.2 | 3.1 | 10.3 | 3.5 | 1.4 | 0 |
| 2019 | Gold Coast | 10 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 211 | 63 | 274 | 111 | 23 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 3.0 | 13.0 | 5.3 | 1.1 | 0 |
| 2020[a] | Gold Coast | 10 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 114 | 44 | 158 | 68 | 13 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.1 | 2.8 | 9.9 | 4.3 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2021 | Gold Coast | 10 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 227 | 61 | 288 | 140 | 25 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.8 | 2.9 | 13.7 | 6.7 | 1.2 | 3 |
| 2022 | Gold Coast | 10 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 177 | 49 | 226 | 109 | 22 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 9.8 | 2.7 | 12.6 | 6.1 | 1.2 | 0 |
| 2023 | Gold Coast | 10 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 230 | 63 | 293 | 142 | 29 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 2.7 | 12.7 | 6.2 | 1.3 | 0 |
| 2024 | Gold Coast | 10 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 184 | 94 | 278 | 111 | 28 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 | 4.1 | 12.1 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 1 |
| 2025 | Gold Coast | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2026 | Gold Coast | 10 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 32 | 79 | 33 | 8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.2 | 3.6 | 8.8 | 3.7 | 0.9 | 0 |
| Career | 143 | 3 | 4 | 1274 | 441 | 1715 | 756 | 164 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.9 | 3.1 | 12.0 | 5.3 | 1.1 | 4 | ||
Notes
- ↑ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
References
- ↑ AFL Record. Round 9, 2022. pg 78
- ↑ Abbracciavento, Daniela (5 August 2017). "Sturt under-18 player Charlie Ballard is one of SA's top AFL draft picks". The Advertiser. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
- ↑ Twomey, Callum. "Late bloomer looms as draft tall order". afl.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ↑ "Charlie Ballard". goldcoastfc.com.au. Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ↑ Black, Sarah. "Five talking points: Western Bulldogs v Gold Coast". afl.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ↑ Black, Sarah. "Sparkling debutants can add polish Suns need". afl.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ↑ "'I love the place': Suns lock away another piece of backline puzzle". afl.com.au. 17 September 2024.
- ↑ "Suns lose crucial defensive pillar to ACL injury". afl.com.au. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "Charlie Ballard". AFL Tables. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
External links
- Charlie Ballard's profile on the official website of the Gold Coast Suns
- Charlie Ballard at AustralianFootball.com
- Charlie Ballard's playing statistics from AFL Tables