Mehmet Durakovic and Jim Magilton came and went before Ange Postecoglou emerged as a saviour back in 2012 during Covic’s stint with the Navy Blue, in a stark example of the hierarchy’s willingness to act if results go against them.
And the former Socceroos gloveman doesn’t expect the German to be treated any differently from his predecessors should a winning formula continue to elude him.
“If Victory don’t get a good result against Melbourne City (on Saturday week after the bye) might it be the final nail in the coffin for Kurz?” queried Victory’s 2011-2012 player of the year.
"It's all about results at a big club like Victory ... if you’re a new coach at Central Coast and Wellington you’re going to get a bit of time.
“But when you’re at a club like Victory there are no excuses and the pressure is really on you (from the get-go). And rightly so.
“The scrutiny is going to be tenfold and I’d be very surprised if there weren’t already question marks and ultimatums put on Kurz (from within the club).
“Victory will be hurting to be languishing in eighth place with only nine points (and just two wins from 10 games).
“It’s not a position you want to be in - and the one game Kurz really doesn’t want to lose now is the Melbourne derby.”
Saturday’s insipid 0-0 draw against a reviving Wellington Phoenix at AAMI Park - albeit with 10 men for half an hour - highlighted the malaise which has gripped the club under Kurz, who arrived from Adelaide United in the off-season full of vigour and purpose to begin the post-Kevin Muscat era.
“You look around the world and somebody of the stature of Carlo Ancelotti wins a Champions League game 4-0 with Napoli and is then sacked.
“It’s a brutal world being a coach. In my year at Victory the results weren’t there for Mehmet Durakovic and seven or eight games in he was given the flick.
“(Irishman) Jim Magilton came in. He didn’t do much better and at the end of the season he was gone.
“Victory are a club where you have to be successful. They don’t mess about if things are going the way they want.
“They’re not shy of doing that and Kurz, unfortunately, finds himself in the firing line.
“Unless results come, that little straw he’s got to hold on to won’t be there for much longer.”
Covic himself met a swift fate at Victory, being told he wasn’t wanted by Postecoglou at the age of 37, despite his player of the season exploits.
Covic had the last laugh though, moving onto Western Sydney Wanderers where he famously won the AFC Champions League in 2014.
Victory, meanwhile, are in a deep rut.
“There have been a few personnel changes but there’s still a lot of quality in the side,” Covic added.
“Their body language looks really flat. Their confidence looks shot and they’re not playing with real hunger.
“Ola Toivonen isn’t playing with the same energy as last year. They’re not controlling the midfield and it all looks a bit disjointed.
“Being a Victory player or coach, Wellington at home should normally be a three-pointer every day of the week.
“I’m hearing the training loads on the players are higher than in the past.
“Maybe it’s tiring them out. But his philosophy worked reasonably well at Adelaide and you wonder where it’s all gone wrong at Victory.
“It’s hard to put your finger on it. Is it the pressure of going to a bigger club?
“Early injuries to Robbie Kruse and Andrew Nabbout didn’t help but they’re back now.
“I don’t think you can put the finger on the quality of the squad - it’s just that they don’t look like a team at the moment."
