The Diggers kept their season alive with a 99-91 win over Eaglehawk in the preliminary final at Bendigo East.

The Diggers blew the Hawks away early, racing to a 48-27 lead after 39 ends at the tea break.

South Bendigo's advantage grew to as many as 40 shots before the Hawks staged a fightback and got as close as six late in the day, but it was too little too late as they were made to pay for their tardy start with a straight sets finals exit.

South Bendigo had three rinks up, with Liam Crapper beating Simon Cater 34-22, Gary Downie defeating Dean Carter 25-15 and Brad Holland accounting for Darren Burgess 27-25.

Eaglehawk's only winning skipper was Brayden Byrne, who defeated Luke Hoskin 29-13.

"It was a really good effort to start the way we did... we knew they were going to come at us at some stage, but we were good enough to hold on," South Bendigo coach Holland said.

Having been unavailable last week, Mitch Sidebottom returned to the Diggers' side on Saturday, but did so as third to Crapper, while Downie again skipped and led his rink to another solid cut-throat finals win.

South Bendigo hasn't won a division one premiership since beating Bendigo East by four shots in 1994.

As well as division one, which will play Bendigo East at Golden Square on Sunday, the Diggers also have their division four, six and eight teams in next weekend's pennant grand finals.

As for the Hawks, they were left to lament their slow start after being put to the sword early by the Diggers.

"For the first half we were just completely outbowled... they were getting bowls in the head and we were all over the place," Hawks' skipper Dean Carter said.

"They played the big shots when they needed to and we couldn't.

"We spoke at half-time about we can either throw in the towel and let them blow us away or we can try to fight our way back and make a game of it. We were able to do that and threw everything at them, but left it too late."

Division 1 - Eaglehawk 2/91 lt South Bendigo 16/99

S. Carter 22 lt L. Crapper 34

D. Carter 15 lt G. Downie 25

D. Burgess 25 lt B. Holland 27

B. Byrne 29 d L. Hoskin 13

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Division 2 - Kangaroo Flat 16/105 d Bendigo East 2/75

B. Flett 19 lt T. Fuller 24

E. White 26 d A. Cullen 22

G. Hegarty 24 d J. Clough 19

J. Schultz 36 d S. Fuller 10

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Division 3 - Bendigo East 2/77 lt Golden Square 16/111

D. Watts 21 lt D. Condon 28

N. Kilby 26 d B. Hogan 25

B. Perryman 14 lt J. Frost 29

I. Vlaeminck 16 lt P. Bush 29

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Division 4 - Eaglehawk 2/82 lt Strathfieldsaye 16/100

C. Evans 18 lt D. Huggard 26

B. Brackley 18 lt T. Cole 25

G. Skinner 24 lt S. Smith 33

K. Barnes 22 d T. Probert 16

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Division 5 - Golden Square 14/89 d Inglewood 4/80

L. Power 27 d I. Bradley 17

G. Tipple 20 lt D. Whitehead 21

D. Kent 16 lt L. Rowley 25

G. Taylor 26 d D. Rowe 17

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Division 6 - Eaglehawk 2/90 lt South Bendigo 16/101

L. Morgan 31 d T. Doolan 17

B. Rogers 21 lt J. Warfe 31

F. Lynch 15 lt B. Mott 28

G. Gibbs 23 lt T. Gastin 25

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Division 7 - Bendigo VRI 2/58 lt White Hills 14/74

M. McMahon 14 lt M. Bree 31

P. Milburn 18 lt C. Jansen 19

P. Simmons 26 d E. Hood 24

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Division 8 - Kangaroo Flat 2/49 lt Woodbury 14/83

P. Beveridge 12 lt P. Gould 29

J. Berry 24 d R. Anderson 22

K. Skinner 13 lt K. Geyer 32

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Division 9 - Woodbury 0/36 lt Bendigo 14/56

C. Edwards 17 lt L. Aiello 32

W. Waldron 19 lt J. Wells 24

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