The club was hit with record penalties for breaching Cricket Victoria finance and governance rules, including fines totalling $12,500, the loss of premiership and club points for last season, suspensions of individual players, and restrictions on the appointment of any professional players for three seasons.,

Players Simon Dart, Lukas Hoogenboom and Steven Spoljaric were found guilty of breaching their amateur status in 2008-09. Dart was suspended for two matches and has since been cleared to play for Melbourne. Hoogenboom, who stayed on with the Hawkes, was reprimanded, while Spoljaric, who has left the club, was suspended until December 1.

The penalties were described by CV chief Tony Dodemaide as the "hardest imposed on any club" and came on top of an operating loss of $138,541 - the largest of any club in the competition's history. No other coach has faced the financial, recruiting and operating restrictions Perumal confronts, but he remains optimistic.

"I'm not fazed by it at all. We are taking the approach that it happened, it's been dealt with, let's move and make our own history. We have been open with the playing group about what's going on. It's more about the development of the young players and I think our situation actually helps us where there's less pressure on us. We know where we are at and the competition knows where we are at. We are trying to build respect back from the competition and Cricket Victoria.

Perumal said there was a perception in the competition that his young, inexperienced group would struggle.

"People are saying that, but none of the playing group or coaching group has ever thought about it like that.

"There are going to be times when our young group is going to be overshadowed and are going to be bowled out for not many, but we think once the consistency picks up, we are going to be a good side in a few years time. The average age of our playing group is 21."

After listening to Perumal at the Hawks' season launch last Thursday night, you get the feeling anything's possible.