"I don't think Barrie will make it over with the two-week quarantine, because it's just too expensive and too much time added to his trip," Mr Hawkes said.
While Phoenix players based in New Zealand were able to travel to Australia without quarantining, those arriving from Europe, like goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic, were forced into a two-week hotel lockdown. "It extended our stay another two weeks, which, in my case, it ended up being three to four weeks' quarantine.
"My partner is looking at coming over but a lot depends on the travel bubble and her work schedule," he said. "It is the first time I've moved away from home; in Wellington, I've been living at home and commuting into the city to train and play games," 19-year-old striker Ben Waine said. Despite being home to one of the most successful teams of the pre-A-League era — the Wollongong Wolves — the city has failed to gain traction in its pursuit of representation in the current top flight.