Cassidy Davis belongs to a football-mad family. When they are not playing, coaching, managing or watching football, they are talking about it. It is the latter that is sustaining the Davis clan at the moment.
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The W-League Jets co-captain lives with her mum Fran, dad Leon and siblings Airlie, Greer and Fletcher at their Kotara home and is doing her best to remain positive through the coronavirus crisis.
She signed with Manly for the National Premier League NSW Womens season but all grassroots football in the country has been suspended until at least May 31.
"It's probably the first time I've been without soccer since I started playing, which was when I was 12," the 25-year-old said.
"It's weird but the whole world is in the same position. You've just got to keep busy and do other things to keep your mind off it."
For Davis that has been focusing on fitness and keeping up touches on the ball using a rebound net and home gym set up in the garage.
"We had the whole W-League season then I didn't have a break and went straight into NPL, so I guess I'm using it as a little bit of a break from football but still keeping my touch up at home, juggling and things like that and then just trying to keep fit mainly and staying active and healthy," she said.
"Everyone's saying you should just stay home and, having parents who are older, I've been respectful of that. I'm just doing stuff with my family now and obviously it's good that I've got a soccer family, so we can do stuff together."
That includes more dinners together, board games and family walks.
"It's maybe a time that families become closer and appreciate what you've got, especially with football," Davis said.
"I think everyone is going to come out of this and probably have a bit more love for the game and appreciate the position you're in, appreciate being a professional footballer, appreciate the things that we get because I don't think anyone could imagine going without stuff that we love. So I guess it's one of those times where we all come together and get stronger.
"You just need to stay positive and do what you can do. We obviously want to make sure people are healthy, so that's a big priority for footballers and everyone in general."
Davis works as a community liaison officer for the Jets and is among staff who have been stood down as the financial pain from the COVID-19 crisis worsens.
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"With my role in the community, there's not a great deal to do at the moment, so I knew it was going to be hard for me," she said.
"But I'm not concerned about it. I think the club will do whatever they can to have me back as soon as possible. I've just said to myself it is what it is and they're doing their best, the same as FFA."
She has applied for Centrelink "just to keep going" and is using rare free time to continue her primary school teaching degree.
As for the next W-League season and how that may be impacted, Davis is unsure. Unlike the A-League, which has been suspended, the women's league was completed on March 21 and there were talks of expansion to a full home-and-away competition in 2020-21.
"Having all of these A-League players getting stood down and obviously the clubs in struggling times, W-League is probably the least of their worries, if you want to put it that way because it is such a long way away," Davis said.
"We won't be forgotten at all but I honestly couldn't tell you what it's going to look like going forward. I don't really know what to expect. I don't know if it's going to be the same. I don't know if it's going to be later now because of this, but it's not worrying signs yet."
