Play for the fans and put a smile on their faces.

That was the message Australian cricket coach Justin Langer delivered to the Eagles before they squared off against Melbourne at Optus Stadium on March 22.

Langer, who is also a member of West Coast’s board, spoke to the group a day before their round one outing at the invitation of senior coach Adam Simpson.

At that stage the 2020 AFL premiership season was going full steam ahead, albeit with no crowds present.

As we know, circumstances quickly changed and less than 24 hours later – and just two hours before the Eagles went to war with the Demons – AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan called a halt to the season in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But Langer still had the foresight to deliver a pointed message to the players about the role they had to play amidst the evolving health crisis.

“Simmo invited me to go and speak to the Eagles, which I’ve done once before, and we didn’t know (the season) was going to be cancelled then,” Langer told SEN’s Whateley program recently.

“But I spoke to the players and they were primed, they couldn’t wait to start playing.

“My point to the West Coast Eagles … was don’t underestimate how important it is that you’re going to put smiles on people’s faces.

“You’re going to have families, you’re going to have friends who are going to go through a really tough time in the next few months.

"At that point they were playing, so (I said) don’t underestimate how important it is to put smiles on their faces and entertain people.”