It was called the "qualifying round". The matches were supposed to be between 1st and 2nd; 3rd and 4th; 5th and 6th. Except a couple of weeks before, the 5th and 6th placed match was called off (which would have been North and West) because of the lack of interest around it.
http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/ar ... +programmeApparently it was inaugurated for "purposes of charity", and while it suggests it was not essential to the programme, the matches still counted to the season.