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Foreign-run Facebook Pages Target Melbourne Storm Fans with Dangerous Disinformation
Sports fans looking for updates about the Melbourne Storm NRL club are being targeted by sophisticated disinformation campaigns run from overseas accounts, an investigation has revealed.
Two Facebook pages—”Storm City Rugby Fans” and “Melbourne Purple Army”—have been posting multiple false stories daily about the club, including fabricated reports of player deaths and controversies. According to Facebook transparency data, these pages are operated by users in Vietnam and the Philippines.
The pages use sensational false headlines to lure followers to external websites filled with advertisements and additional misleading content. The Melbourne Storm club has confirmed to AAP FactCheck that it has no connection to these pages and described the posts as “fictional and disturbing.”
One particularly concerning post falsely claimed that a Melbourne Storm staff member had died, featuring an image of assistant coach Marc Brentnall. The post stated that someone from the “football operations department passed away this week after a medical emergency while traveling through Melbourne.” In a contradictory detail, overlay text on the accompanying image claimed the incident occurred during a trip to New York.
The image used in the post shows a damaged Air Canada plane from a real fatal crash at a New York airport in March, in which two people died—an incident that had no connection to the Melbourne Storm or Brentnall.
In another alarming example, an April 3 post falsely claimed that Storm player Tui Kamikamica had died following a medical emergency during a match. The truth is starkly different: Kamikamica did suffer a stroke while at home on March 30 and received treatment at a Melbourne hospital. However, he was discharged days later and is currently undergoing rehabilitation. Club director Frank Ponissi has publicly stated that Kamikamica is making a remarkable recovery and that “he will play again.”
The Storm organization told AAP FactCheck that this false report about Kamikamica’s alleged death was particularly disturbing given his actual health situation.
Head coach Craig Bellamy has also been the subject of fabricated stories. One post falsely claimed that Bellamy refused to wear an LGBTQI pride-themed jacket at a club event, with an accompanying article quoting him as saying, “I’m here to coach football.” No such incident occurred.
Another post involving Bellamy claimed he granted a “dying wish” to a seven-year-old girl battling terminal brain cancer. This story was completely fabricated, using an image of Branson Blevins, an 11-year-old boy from Alabama who died in 2025 after battling leukemia. AAP FactCheck had previously debunked this same recycled story when it appeared on a similar page targeting Penrith Panthers fans.
The investigation also found evidence that some content was generated using artificial intelligence, with at least one post featuring Google’s Gemini logo visible in the corner of an image. Another post promoting an upcoming match between the Storm and Penrith Panthers displayed a baseball pitch in the background, further highlighting the pages’ inauthentic nature.
This pattern of deceptive content extends beyond the Melbourne Storm, with AAP FactCheck identifying similar disinformation campaigns targeting supporters of other NRL clubs including the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Sydney Roosters, and Brisbane Broncos.
Social media experts have long warned about foreign-operated disinformation networks that exploit fan communities to generate engagement and advertising revenue. These operations often leverage emotional topics—including deaths, illnesses, and controversial social issues—to drive clicks and shares.
Facebook’s parent company Meta has faced ongoing criticism for allowing such networks to operate despite their community standards prohibiting false information that could cause harm. Sports organizations increasingly find themselves battling not just on the field, but also against online misinformation targeting their players and fans.
The Melbourne Storm case highlights the growing challenge for sports teams in protecting their brand and supporters in the digital age, where verification of information before sharing has never been more important.
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8 Comments
While I’m glad the Melbourne Storm club is pushing back against these false claims, it’s troubling that they have to deal with this kind of coordinated misinformation campaign in the first place. Sports fans deserve better than to be exploited in this way.
Absolutely. The club should work closely with social media platforms to get these malicious pages taken down as quickly as possible. Fans need a safe, trustworthy environment to discuss their team.
It’s disheartening to see how sophisticated these disinformation tactics have become, even targeting niche interests like local sports teams. Overseas actors are clearly trying to sow discord and confusion. I hope fans can stay skeptical and verify information from official sources.
This is really concerning to hear about these disinformation campaigns targeting Melbourne Storm fans. It’s troubling that overseas actors are trying to spread false information and exploit sports fans in this way. I hope the authorities are able to shut down these malicious pages quickly.
Yes, it’s a worrying trend to see foreign-run social media pages spreading misinformation about local sports teams. Fans deserve accurate, trustworthy information, not fabricated scandals.
This is a concerning development, as it shows how bad actors are willing to target niche communities like sports fans with disinformation. The fact that these pages are being run from overseas makes it even more insidious. Kudos to the Melbourne Storm club for calling this out.
Fabricating stories about player deaths and controversies is a new low. These disinformation campaigns are not only misleading but could also be very upsetting for fans. The Melbourne Storm club was right to quickly denounce these fictional posts.
I agree, the club needs to stay vigilant and work with authorities to counter these false narratives before they spread further. Fans shouldn’t have to worry about encountering disturbing misinformation when checking for team updates.