A Irish teenager suffered a broken bone during an unprovoked attack in Australia on Sunday. Paul Cribbin, 19, a former County Kildare minor footballer was set upon by a gang after a night out with friends and family in Melbourne.

Cribbin, who has become an Aussie Rules sports star, lost two front teeth in the attack which occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Cribbin had spent the early part of the night with his family who had travelled from Kildare to visit him. Later he set  out with friends. Upon leaving a popular Melbourne nightspot, he was punched in the face in what police believe was an unprovoked attack.

Three men believed thought responsible for the assault are being pursued by police. Cribbin was in the company of another Irish man, Collingwood player Caolan Mooney, when he was attacked just after 2 AM.

The victim was treated at the scene and then taken to Melbourne's Saint Vincent's hospital.

In recovery at the hospital Cribbin told his club mates that he had been walking along the street when he was pushed against a wall and punched in the face.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire condemned the attack as unprovoked, but admitted that Cribbin was under the influence of alcohol when it happened.

'It is, unfortunately, the issues that happen at that time of the morning anywhere in the world,' club president Eddie McGuire told the Herald. 'They shouldn't have been out anyway and again it's the old motto: nothing good happens after 1AM. He'd been out saying goodbye to his parents who were flying back to Ireland and then he went out with his mates.'

Cribbin joined the Collingwood club in 2010, and may soon have to explain why he was out so late to club officials, facing possible disciplinary action.