A retiring AFL player has spent the night in hospital after an "unprovoked incident" outside a Melbourne bar.
Jack Ziebell had been celebrating his final match at a function earlier in the evening, his club North Melbourne said in a statement.
He and some teammates staff headed to a South Yarra bar afterwards.
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The club said Ziebell was "set upon" when he left the bar by a group of men in an "unprovoked attack".
"He suffered injuries to his face and head and needed to spend the night in hospital," the club said.
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He suffered a broken nose and will have surgery tomorrow.
Investigators believe he was set upon after an earlier scuffle inside the Osborne bar.
Police say Ziebell was pushed onto the road by his attacker who punched him in the face and kicked him on the ground before fleeing with two other men.
9News understands the group was kicked out before targeting the 32-year-old when he came down to meet a friend.
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Police confirmed they were investigating an alleged assault on a 32-year-old man in South Yarra about 1am.
They said it was believed to be an "unprovoked incident" and the man was not seriously injured.
Ziebell played 279 matches for North Melbourne between 2009 and 2023, and served as club captain from 2017 to 2022.
His last match was yesterday.
Anybody with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers