In 1995 Fernandez was back in the Australian eight where he would stay for the rest of national representative career. At the 1995 World Rowing Championships in Tampere Finland and stroked by Rob Scott they finished overall eleventh. Fernandez, Porzig, Hayman, Rob Jahrling, and Ben Dodwell remained in the Australian eight into the 1996 Olympic year and were joined in the crew by the Stewart twins and the New South Wales pair of Walker and Wearne taking over in the stern end. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics the Australian eight rowed to a sixth place.