Police believe the vicious bashing of former AMA chief Mukesh Haikerwal was just one part of a violent gang's two-hour rampage that left four people in hospital.
Dr Haikerwal, 47, the former Victorian and Federal president of the Australian Medical Association, had to have emergency neurosurgery to remove blood clots from his brain after he was attacked in Melbourne's western suburbs on Saturday night.
He was struck in the head with a baseball bat, fracturing his skull, then repeatedly kicked as he lay on the ground near his home.
Police say he was the third victim in a string of alleged armed robbery attempts by a group of up to six people, aged in their late teens to early 20s.
An 18-year-old Altona man was allegedly attacked and robbed while walking along the street. A 27-year-old Williamstown man was then allegedly assaulted on Lyons street Williamstown around 11pm.
Both were admitted to the Western Hospital, along with Dr Haikerwal, who was attacked soon after.
At about 11.15pm a 52-year-old Elsternwick man was attacked and had his mobile phone stolen while walking in York Street, Yarraville. He was also admitted to the Western Hospital with head injuries.
Dr Haikerwal was woken from an induced coma yesterday and is now in a stable condition.
Police hope they will be able to identify the youths after speaking with the victims, but Detective Senior Sergeant Kieran Moloney also asked for members of the public who may have witnessed one of the attacks, or one of several other reported robberies.
"There were five significant incidents in public places, we are sure there are people out there with information that could assist our investigation and urge them to come forward," he told News Ltd.
Earlier today Premier John Brumby said he was appalled by the attack on Dr Haikerwal.
"It's a callous, cowardly (and) it's a disgusting act and how anybody can go around beating somebody with a baseball bat - I don't understand that and police will get the people concerned," he said.
