Glenn McGrath and and Chris Judd join forces to launch the Visy and McGrath Foundation pink safety vests: Click here to view the video

In his role as Visy Environmental Ambassador, Chris Judd joined cricketing legend and Chairman of the McGrath Foundation, Glenn McGrath to launch the McGrath Pink Safety Vests at Visy Park.

Visy is the first company to issue the vests for all of their onsite visitors and contactors to their plants. At the launch of the vests, McGrath and Judd were joined by the construction workers from the Johns Lyng Group on the Visy Park redevelopment building site to wear the vests.

Judd had just completed a short skills session on the ground and quickly changed into his McGrath Foundation polo for the media event held on the ground in front of the redevelopment at Visy Park. The change was necessary because Judd was out of his Carlton mode and into his Visy role.

It was certainly a change to see Judd take a back seat at the start of the media event with the focus on one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time and McGrath was quick to respond to questions about Brett Lee before focusing on the purpose of the event, the pink safety vests.

“Visy’s enthusiasm to partner with the McGrath Foundation and initiate the concept of the McGrath Pink Safety Vests has been tremendous. To take hot pink and put it on construction workers is really a unique idea and one that has really been embraced right across Australia. The reality of this product though is that it can even be used around any sort of machinery or in any environment where visibility is key - I’ve already sent a couple to my dad and brother out on the farm,” McGrath said.



These are the only pink safety vests available which meet all Australian Safety Standards and it was the vests that were the inspiration that spurred on the release of the McGrath Pink Hard Hat range that was launched in Sydney in September.

“The McGrath Pink Hard Hats were an incredible success and have been literally walking out the door, so I can only imagine that Visy will start a trend that we’ll soon see on manufacturing and worksites nationally.

“And the McGrath Pink Safety Range is only set to get bigger - who knows, one day there may even be a pink crane on the way!” McGrath added.

For Chris Judd it was another important role for Visy and on this occasion it was not about the environment as such but about safety and adding to the Visy support of the McGrath Foundation.

“This is such a unique idea and I’d be more than happy to see all of our supporters in their pink safety gear in the day to day lives. After all, everyone knows how passionate Carlton supporters are and you would have to be passionate to be prepared as a bloke to step up and show your true colours by wearing pink. I think Jane McGrath knew what she was talking about when she said it takes a real man to wear pink!” Judd said.

Naturally Judd was not able to just talk about Visy and the McGrath Foundation; the reporters were quick to seize on the opportunity to ask him about being back at training and of course his recent engagement.

“It is only day two of pre-season but every year you think it can’t get any tougher, but every year they seem to fit another 10 to 15% more into the program,” Judd said in relation to his return to training.

Asked about Brock McLean’s impressive start at his new club (McLean won the time trial around Princes Park on Monday morning), Judd said it was certainly a good way to start your career at a new club and that he was looking forward to playing alongside McLean in the Carlton midfield.

As for the engagement his only real comment was that it was exciting the he and Rebecca were very happy. When one reporter suggested the rumour was he had been pressured into proposing Judd laughed off the suggestion.

“No certainly not. But they do say pressure makes diamonds.”

In relation to his thoughts on Brett Lee’s cricketing future Judd showed he knows when to hand over to a more qualified person when he said, “I think I will leave that to Glenn”.

At the conclusion of the event Judd presented McGrath with a signed Carlton guernsey for the McGrath Foundation to use in their fundraising activities.