Jai Howard, 24, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Thursday to intentionally and recklessly causing injury over the Port Fairy attack.

His victim was a then 25-year-old male from Coomoora, near Daylesford, on June 12 last year.

The victim was being escorted from the Vic Hotel in Port Fairy about midnight when Howard launched a punch to his head, causing him to fall to the ground.

Howard was escorted outside, he walked away but then returned and king-hit the victim to the side of the face, knocking him unconscious and causing his nose to bleed profusely.

The victim fell to the ground and hit his head on the pavement.

An off-duty nurse came to the victim's aid.

The man was unconscious and unresponsive for five minutes.

He suffered bleeding on the brain and a facial fracture, and was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition.

He was said at that time to have suffered life-threatening injuries.

The two men were not known to each other.

Howard was arrested at his Port Fairy home at 3.10am.

He spent three days in the police station cells before being released on bail.

The victim required a $7000 implant in his mouth due to a tooth being knocked out during the assault.

He still suffers headaches to this day and is constantly extremely fatigued, the court was told.

Howard on Tuesday agreed to pay for all of the victim's medical costs.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine and wilfully damaging property following an incident at Seanchai Hotel on March 5 last year.

The court heard he was asked to leave the hotel following a drunken altercation shortly before midnight.

While being escorted down the stairs he became aggressive, a wrestle ensued and he and the security guard fell down the steps.

Howard then pushed the man into a glass door, causing it to smash.

Both men suffered cuts from the broken glass, there was blood but no serious injuries.

Howard was arrested and later found in possession of .31 grams of cocaine.

Magistrate John Bentley said the offending was "drunken, moronic behaviour".

"People are dying because they've been hit by drunks and hit their head on the pavement, and instead of facing charges in this court they're in the supreme court facing a murder charge," he said.

Mr Bentley said the victim would likely suffer for a considerable period of time.

"This memory will live with him for a long time," he said.

"All because you were drunk, out with your mates having 'fun'. It's totally unacceptable."

Lawyer Ian Pugh, representing Howard, said the seriousness of the offending was conceded.

He said his client suffered an alcohol abuse disorder following a disadvantaged upbringing involving violence.

The magistrate said ordinarily the offender would be in prison.

"But I'm not going to consider a jail sentence at this stage," he said.

He said important factors in his decision was the man's youth, limited criminal history, evidence of remorse, early guilty plea and willingness to pay compensation.

Mr Bentley ordered the man to be assessed for a community correction order.

"This is not a soft option," he said.

"When I put people on a correction order, I monitor them. That means you'll come back before me, whether you like it or not, to see how you're progressing and if you breach that order, you'll go to jail."

Howard will be sentenced on June 3.

He was ordered to pay over $1000 restitution to Seanchai Hotel.

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