Tom Bertalli, 30, appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with intentionally causing injury, failing to appear on bail and driving offences.

Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Sam Young told the court on August 20 in 2017, the complainant and a friend were walking south on Lydiard Street towards The George Hotel. The pair saw that Bertalli "looked angry" on approach.

When the complainant turned his head away from the man, he was allegedly "punched with forced to the right side" of his face before he fell to the ground, the police prosecutor said.

There was no CCTV footage of the apparent attack.

Police allege Bertalli walked away from the assault, while the victim laid on the ground and covered his head in fear of being kicked. Two days after the alleged attack, the complainant went to a hospital, where a CT scan showed he had bone fractures to the right side of the his face.

The alleged victim told police at the time he did not know the accused man and there was "no reason for the attack". On August 29, the complainant had surgery to re-align his nose.

The man's defence lawyer told the court his client disagreed about the run up to the alleged attacked, saying there was "push and shove, conversation, then it happened ... it wasn't a random hit as such".

The court heard Bertalli failed to appear on bail because he was working interstate as a technician, and now had stable work at Skipton and a stable residence in Redan. However the man's ongoing employment would be "in peril" if his incarceration continued for much longer, his lawyer said.

"He's been working since he was 16, he's a very hard worker, just prone to making bad decisions from time to time. But he has recently been pretty good," he said.

The court heard Bertalli allegedly failed to give way to a vehicle on a roundabout on December 20 2016, and drove on Cresdwick Road while suspended.

Bertalli's parents were seated in the court, with his mother offering a $2000 surety that her son would not breach the conditions of his bail if released.

The police prosecutor said the man's bail was opposed by police, but Magistrate Gregory Robinson said while the "circumstances are not exceptional", when considering the man's time on remand, Bertalli would be released on bail.

"He hasn't re-offended, except speeding, since the most serious attack," Magistrate Robinson said. "He has employment and the surety, so we'll err on the side that (exceptional circumstances) have been established.

"Don't show up again. This will be your last opportunity, you won't get bail again."

Bertalli had previously applied for a sentence indication, with Magistrate Robinson suggesting he would be jailed for three months.

The man will return to court on December 19.