Fast bowling legend Brett Lee’s Sydney Beer Co owes millions to tax office

Cricket legend Brett Lee’s beer company owed millions when it collapsed, with the tax man and a charity among those in the lurch.

Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee’s Sydney Beer Co company owes nearly $10m to suppliers, documents show.

Minutes of the first creditor meeting filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission show the beer company owed $9.76m to 64 creditors.

The amounts include $1.3m to the tax office and $33,000 to former teammate Glenn McGrath’s charitable organisation the Jane McGrath foundation, which helps cancer nurses deliver services across Australia.

Sydney Beer Co, co-owned by Brett Lee, is in administration owing $9.6m. Picture: Supplied

Sydney Beer Co, co owned by the fast bowler with actor Matt Nable, was sent into administration in early March, just months after announcing a $6m capital raise for its US expansion plans.

An entity operated by Sydney Beer Co chair David Catterrall is the biggest creditor, owed a little more than $6.2m via a related party loan.

RSM Australia partners Richard Stone and Brett Lord were appointed as administrators, with the first meeting with creditors on March 19.

Mr Lord said Sydney Beer Co directors had indicated they would put forward a deed of company arrangement proposal.

“In liquidation process there is unlikely to be sufficient assets realisations available to pay to any class of creditor in full,” he said.

“The administrators will continue with further investigations on affairs of the company.”

Sydney Beer Co’s collapse came just weeks after the Prime Minister froze the beer exercise. Picture: NewsWire/ Tim Pascoe

Lee was one of Australia’s premier fast bowlers, taking 310 wickets in 76 Test matches.

The collapse of Sydney Beer Co comes just weeks after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese froze the beer excise in a “modest” cost-of-living win.

From August 2025, the biannual alcohol excise, which is charged to brewers and distillers, will be paused on draught beer and beer served from a keg or cask, meaning it only has the potential to bring down the cost of beer poured in a pub, bar or restaurant, with sellers of bottled or tinned beer missing out.

Originally published as Fast bowling legend Brett Lee’s Sydney Beer Co owes millions to tax office