Towards the end of the season, Hernández' fitness improved and he struck form, becoming a regular goal scorer and assister. One of Hernández most famous games for the Victory was when he scored Melbourne's only goal against Juventus in a friendly at the Docklands Stadium in May 2008. The goal was a cracking curling effort from just outside the box leaving Juventus goalkeeper Jess Vanstrattan with no chance. He scored the opening goal in Melbourne's 5–0 thrashing of reigning A-League champions Newcastle Jets in Round 3 of the 2008–09 season at the Docklands Stadium. His 6th goal for the club came against the Central Coast Mariners in Round 20, a cracking free kick that went through the wall and through the legs of helpless keeper Danny Vukovic. He won widespread acclaim for his performance in Melbourne's 4–0 A-League semi-final second leg win over Adelaide United, in which he scored one goal and assisted for the other three.