The etymology of the term was based on terminology in Australia from the end of the 19th century, where the
regular season was referred to as the "minor rounds", and the
playoffs or finals were referred to as the "major rounds" (this terminology is still used in South Australia, but has fallen into disuse in other parts of the country). Emerging from this terminology came the "minor premiership", for the top-ranked team in the minor rounds, and the "major premiership", often shortened simply to
premiership, for the winner of the finals series. The term was important in the
early finals systems of the
Victorian Football League, an
Australian rules football league, where the minor premier had the right to a
challenge match for the major premiership if it were eliminated at any stage during the finals. == Modern usage ==