 The Hawks were crowned minor premiers in 2008 with a first-place finish and a 21–5 record.They faced the eighth-seeded Willetton Tigers in the quarter-finals, but without their first (Tom Garlepp) and third (Peter Crawford) highest scorers playing, the Hawks were defeated 2–1.After averaging 7.3 points per game during the regular season, Purser was required to step up in the quarter-finals, as he scored 43 points over the three games, including a 21-point effort in a 94–89 series-levelling win in game two.