Patrick Prendergast took all of ten seconds to realise that if there was a market for Australian-made protective face masks then they may as well come in club colours . . . at the very least in glorious dark navy.

So the Old Paradian and passionate Carlton man, through his Melbourne-based apparel company CGR Sportswear, resolved to churn out the League-centric masks at $15 a pop to help put the boot into COVID-19.

“This all came about in a conversation with my boy Harry, who signed with Frankston Football Club this year,” said Patrick, a final year student of Parade’s class of ’76.

“When the pandemic hit we thought it a good idea to reach out to our fellow Aussies and the football-starved community.

“Who said you couldn’t keep healthy and show your love of your footy team in these tough times?”

As a result, 300 of the face covers, produced on a daily basis in Australia by Australians for Australians, are rolling off the production line at a factory in Thomastown – and Patrick anticipates orders will only increase whenever the isolation restrictions are lifted.

The quality-tested masks, available in all 18 AFL club colours, can be produced in any design (including logos for local football and sporting clubs or even companies) in a short turnaround time.

CGR drew on its 18 years of local in- house design and production experience in creating the masks -each one of them incorporating three layers of three-ply washable and reusable fabric.

The mask’s first layer is made up entirely of polyester and spandex, allowing for breathable wear while comfortably fitting the contours of your face and minimising access to the mouth and nose region.

Layer two offers an essential protective layering of non-woven fusing which actively filters air through the mask while layer three provides an additional layer of polyester and spandex to ensure the mask holds a tailored fit and keeps it shape.

Specialising in a variety of elite men’s and women’s sporting apparel – CGR Sportswear, according to the company blurb, “has carefully curated its knowledge and expertise in creating a seamless blend of high performing engineered masks and gloves while offering customers the perfect excuse to bring some colour and cheer back into their day-to-day lives through their customisable fashionable looks”.

CGR’s masks and/or gloves are available for purchase both in stock and custom design. For more information head to https://www.cgrsportswear.com.au/