The incident occurred late on Monday night after the trio left a club at Paradise Beach at the popular tourist destination.

Doujon Zammit 20, of Sydney, was on life support in an Athens hospital after being struck in the head with a metal baton.

His friends have already set up a website, under the heading "Only the Good Die Young", to pay tribute to him.

Mr Zammit's father arrived at the hospital before his son died, according to a source close to the family.

Mr Zammit, a school captain of Cecil Hills High School, had "the world at his fingertips'', a classmate, who did not wish to be named, said.

He finished a graphic design course last year, and planned to travel around Europe for a few months before settling into working life.

He was just days into the holiday when the attack at Mykonos happened, she said.

"He was school captain, so everything that comes along with that - he was in everyone's good books, just a vibrant person, liked by everyone, he knew everyone, knew everything.

"He was good at sport, good at school, he was an amazing graphic designer - he had it all set up.''

She was shocked at news Mr Zammit had been bashed.

"Honestly - the fact that people are saying he had a fight is ridiculous, he's so not that sort of person at all, he's not confrontational. I think it's such a waste, he had everything going for him.''

Mr Zammit's 20-year-old cousin, Cameron Tabone, a hospitality worker, suffered a broken nose and broken wrist in the attack.

The two, together with a third Sydney man, were allegedly followed from the club by two of its employees.

The unidentified third Australian is believed to have suffered minor head injuries during the incident.

It is understood the two club employees - a 25-year-old bouncer and an 18-year-old car park attendant - approached Mr Tabone and Mr Zammit after they left the venue, demanding their passports and accusing them of stealing of a handbag.

When they protested their innocence and refused to hand over their travel documents, an altercation ensued, during which the bouncer is said to have struck Mr Zammit with a foldable metal baton.

Two other bouncers who were passing by allegedly joined the fight.

The 25-year-old bouncer is expected to be charged with grievous bodily harm when he faces court on the island of Syros today.

The parking attendant and two other bouncers are expected to appear in the same court today on the same charges.

During the arrests police found the weapon, and a T-shirt soaked with what is believed to be blood.

Mr Zammit was flown with his cousin to Tzaneio Hospital, in the port city of Piraeus, where he underwent surgery at 7am on Tuesday.

He was later transported to Errikos Dinan Hospital, in Athens, where he remained in a coma until he died.

Mr Tabone is employed in Sydney at Neptune Cafe, at Brighton Le Sands in Sydney's south.

"He's been there [at Neptune Cafe] for two or three years, a good worker," said one of the cafe's owners, George Kazzi, this morning.

"But I haven't had a chance to speak with the family and until I do I don't want to release any information."

Zammit's uncle is believed to have arrived on a flight from London yesterday, but local officials were said to have imposed access restrictions.

Mr Zammit's mother is believed to have been unable to travel from Sydney after falling ill at the airport.

The Southern Aegean police chief police, Brigadier Dimitris Leroyiannis, told the Greek television station Alpha there were no reports of a stolen handbag from the Mykonos venue.

with Anthony Stavrinos