Covic, the oldest player in the A-League at 40, was back in his home city of Sydney to play for Perth Glory against Western Sydney Wanderers last weekend and naturally took the opportunity to spend valuable time with his wife, Linda, and their children, Emelie, nine, and Christopher, seven, while he was there.
The last time he saw them before that was when Glory came across for their opening-round game against Central Coast Mariners, on 9 October.
Covic had previously left Sydney in early September to do pre-season training with his new club.
The 40 year-old has been one of the best-performed goalkeepers in the competition in recent years and had hoped to continue his career at the Wanderers, but the club cut him at the end of last season.
He wasn't ready to give the game away, however, and his search for a new club ended with the offer of a one-year contract from Glory.
His children had been uprooted before due to moves Covic made with his football, but with them now in their early years at school, he didn't consider that as an option this time.
So it is a case of regularly keeping in touch on Skype, through phone calls and getting together whenever his playing schedule makes it possible.
"That's the reality of the situation with me living in Perth at the moment," Covic said.
"When I came across for the Central Coast game and saw the family then it had been about six weeks since I first left for Perth. And when I came to Sydney last weekend it had been another three weeks.
"It gets a bit difficult, but we've got to make the best out of the situation. Unfortunately, Perth is too far away to just race across when you've got a day off.
"It's not the first time we've done this as a family, because of football, but this time both kids are at school, they're settled in, they've got their friends and it is getting towards the end of my career, to be honest.
"So to keep shifting them - I've shifted them enough, I think, in their lifetime. So we just have to make it work the best way we can.
"It does get emotional when I see the family again, but it's brilliant. The smiles on the kids' faces when you see them, it's fantastic.
"I speak to them on a daily basis. They've got their own ipads now, so we do Skype as often as possible and phone calls here and there. I try to communicate as much as I can that way and it's great for them to be able to talk to me as well.
"The kids get excited when they know you're coming and when they see you for the first time in weeks and you see that smile on their faces, there is nothing that tops that. You realise how blessed you are."
Covic said Perth coach Kenny Lowe had been very understanding about his circumstances.
"Kenny has been brilliant with me in terms of letting me stay behind to spend extra time with the family," Covic said.
"After the Wanderers game I stayed with the family. The team went home early Monday afternoon and I caught the last flight out, because we've got the FFA Cup final on Saturday.
"I only got a few extra hours this time, but usually Kenny gives me an extra day with the family. I spent an extra day with them after we played Central Coast, before flying back to Perth.
"I've got to thank Kenny for that, he's a good man manager and he understands the situation, so we're making it work."
Covic was determined not to quit playing while he still believed he was up to it and his early-season form backs him up on that front.
Just over a year after starring for the Wanderers when they made history by becoming the first Australian team to win the AFC Asian Champions League, he will chase another trophy in the FFA Cup in Saturday night's final against Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park.
"I don't have another 20 years on the field, so I've got to take the opportunities while they are still available," Covic said.
"You never know what's going to happen in football. I've been around the game for a long time now and I've learned you can never predict what's going to happen. As soon as you try to do that, everything flies in your face.
"But once I knew I wasn't going to be at the Wanderers any longer, if I wanted to keep on playing I was going to have to make sacrifices.
"I still love the game and I'm still at the top of my game, so while I can I want to play. I don't want to look back one day and say I still had more left in me and didn't take the opportunity."
