Five footballers from the Far West and Mid West leagues helped the Port Adelaide Magpies western zone team to a close finish in the 2008 SANFL Country Youth Championships in Adelaide last Wednesday and Thursday.

The Magpies, with Scott Lycett and Myles Warmington from the Far West Football League and Chris Strange, Liam Cook and Jay Williams from the Mid West Football League, lost to Sturt on a count-back after both teams won two games.

Team manager Paul Warmington said the boys acquitted themselves very well, beating winner, Sturt, on the first day by 15 points with Scott Lycett kicking five of the Magpies' 10 goals and judged their best player.

"They were unlucky in that they played two games on the second day and in their last game came up against a fresh Glenelg team that had only played one game that day," Mr Warmington said.

"They also had some injuries in the squad and were down to the bare 19 players for the last game."

Four players from the Eyre Peninsula, Scott Lycett, Zac Tiller, Sam Gray and Peter Lindsay were named in the team of the championship.