Shayna Jack reaches out to Bronson Xerri amid doping scandals

Shayna Jack has reached out to Bronson Xerri as the swimming and NRL stars battle separate doping scandals.

Australian swimmer Jack and Cronulla Sharks centre Xerri have both been provisionally suspended after testing positive to banned substances.

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Xerri, 19, was suspended by the NRL in May after returning a positive A-sample for exogenous testosterone, androsterone, etiocholanolone and 5b-androstane-3a,17b-diol, having been tested by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority in November last year.

The teenager said he was shattered by his ban, which came just days out from the resumption of the NRL season.

“I'm devastated but I'm bound by the system so there is not much more I can say at this stage,” Xerri said.

“There is a process in place that I am required to follow. I'm shattered I'm not playing with the boys.”

One person who can relate to Xerri is Jack, who is fighting to clear her own name after being stood down from the Australian team in the lead-up to the 2019 world titles in July last year when she tested positive to Ligandrol, a muscle-growth agent.

A member of Australia's world record-breaking 4x100m freestyle relay team, Jack has claimed the banned substance could have got into her system by contamination.

Jack’s lawyer Tim Fuller told the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday that the 21-year-old had reached out to Xerri.

“She told me she’d been in contact with Bronson and she said he’s very, very stressed about what’s happening,” Fuller said.

“She just understands what they’re going through. She was just letting him know possibly what is going to happen and some of the processes that might not have been explained to him … and just supporting him. In her words, he’s pretty down.”

Jack’s lawyer hits out over Xerri’s case

Fuller also expressed his disbelief that Xerri hadn’t heard back about his B sample yet despite his positve test occurring in November.

“His case is extraordinary,” Fuller told the Herald. “He provided his sample back in November 2019 and if we haven’t got confirmation of his B sample … that’s unbelievable.

“Ultimately he shouldn’t be in this situation. He should not be waiting for the results of a B sample six or seven months after having provided his sample for testing. I cannot see under any circumstances why it’s taken seven months.”

Since she was stood down almost a year ago, Swimming Australia have been forced to cut ties with Jack who is still hopeful of contesting the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.

“This is the problem with this anti-doping policy in this country,” Fuller said previously.

“If you are a swimmer, the day you are handed an infraction notice you are supposed to be ostracised - you are terminated from the team.

“If you are an AFL player you can continue to train with the team, you can continue to be paid.

“For a young person it is an incredibly difficult situation. Something has to change in that respect.”

with AAP