The Aussie hub, is not quite a hotel room confinement (post the initial 2 weeks quarantine that Hooper & Davila had to do) but yes otherwise what you say is right - it's a sharkhouse setup especially long term for the family men. If you look at the current Covid situation - other Aus states with closed borders to NSW & VIC, a new "outbreak" in NZ, then normal freedom of travel looks months away. The hope of a Trans Tasman travel bubble longer. Another hub from December looks highly likely.
With various NZ & Aus govts (incl state) still pursuing elimination strategies, interstate travel will blocked as soon as a new outbreak occurs again. Would be naive to think, that even if the current outbreaks in VIC, NSW & NZ are contained/defeated, the disease won't return again somewhere for a 3rd time. In Europe for example now, elimination of the disease is gone as an option. So they are learning to live with it as best they can, and the various football leagues will probably never use hub setups. Even the MLS is now moving into a 'normal' home & away regular season.
This will all be playing on the mind of the Nix family guys. Devere would be tempted you'd think to try get a gig with the Roar - his wife is in QLD now with their new baby? Davila and Ball will for sure be distracted by all this. Naturally they will be asking now what's the plan for season 2020/2021. Their minds won't just be on football. You can't really expect either to return to NSW for another months long hub (worse case July 2021), and leave their families in NZ. That would be especially tough for Davila, with a new born, a wife who presumably has English as a 2nd language, no family support network with a new baby, and an absent husband. Shark scenario. Ball's English whanau (older kids?) may cope with any separation better, but still a sharkhouse setup.
Faced with that both players would be in their rights to seek early contract terminations, on compassionate grounds. Compounded by TV rights being halved, salary cap being reduced, and them probably being asked to take pay cuts. Yes a negative outlook but is also realistic until more is known about the next season. One saviour is that the Covid problem (Trans Tasman travel wise anyhow) should be gone at some point in 2021. The 2021/2022 season could be normal. Ball still has 1 year to go? Davila 2 years on their contracts? So if they were loving NZ & the Nix pre Covid, they might try preserve.
The FFA/NLWG need to start lobbying hard now for exemptions for immediate families of players, to join them in NSW re any hub for season 2020/2021. A family hub attached to the player's hub. Or just some enlarged overall hub, with control of people in and out like an Olympic Village or whatever. This is not just a problem for the Nix, but potentially for all the non NSW A League teams for the new season, if interstate travel remains a no go. Esp the visa players with families in Aus/NZ with no support networks.
The NRL asked for Warriors's families to get special travel exemptions, to travel to NSW - but without luck. But Aus Govts, incl state need to realise many people get a great deal of enjoyment out of supporting and watching their sports teams. In this Covid stressful world, watching the NRL, AFL, Super Rugby, A League or whatever can provide some sense of normality and distraction from this shark time. Some mental health benefits for sure. So govts and health authorities should be trying to help these sports bodies keep their comps going, with sensible solutions.
Also SFC, WSW, CCM and Newcastle start having a massive unfair advantage (as if SFC need one) with their players leading semblances of normal lives, sleeping in their usual beds and getting away from constant football. I'm sure FFA/NLWG will be aware of all this, and working on different possible ideas and solutions. Could the season start with a 6 week hubs in Perth, Brisbane and Wellington (4 teams per hub play each other twice), before a centralised NSW hub in Jan 2021 with all teams? So at least WA, QLD & NZ get to host some games with crowds maybe. All ideas on the table.
I guess the other option is having travel exemptions for the teams to travel themselves without having to quarantine. In and out within 48 hours (48 hours for teams playing in Perth & NZ), on charter flights or whatever. But that then opens a can of worms with the general public, that sports people are being allowed to travel freely, when they are stuck with 2 weeks hotel quarantine (which everyone now needs to pay for in Aus at about $3K per 2 weeks).
It's going to be an interesting, and far far from normal off season. Shark load of problems for the Nix and other clubs to work through. But yeah with bulk of the squad younger non family guys, a few possible cheaper pickups (and motivated to restart their pro careers) like Lewis and McGarry floating around - they should have a competitive squad. Hooper a large loss. And yeah if either/both Davila and Ball left, then serious player recruitment issues, because Nix having to be in Australia next season locked in a hub won't be attractive to many visa prospects. McCowatt decides to try his luck in Europe, and then Gill & Talay really will be busy boys with the agents.
