Family surround bedside of Victorian footballer in coma after suspected 'flakka' overdose on Gold Coast

A Victorian footballer is in a coma in a Gold Coast hospital, surrounded by his family, suspected of taking a mystery drug that's hospitalised 15 others.

Riki Stephens and his Heathcote Saints teammates were on an end of season holiday when he ingested a drug at a pub at the weekend, club president Andrew Conforti told AAP.

It's suspected Mr Stephens may have taken "flakka", a synthetic stimulant believed to be behind 16 people being hospitalised after becoming aggressive, non-compliant and dangerous.

The well-liked footballer had finished playing his first season with Heathcote, recruited from Melbourne, when he went on the ill-fated holiday.

His football club have described him as “a gentleman” and “a hard worker”.

The news comes as video emerged today of a person suffering a suspected flakka overdose at the Gold Coast. The man can be heard screaming as he's held down by about eight people after ripping off his clothes as a result of the suspected overdose.

READ MORE: Man held down by eight people during suspected flakka overdose on the Gold Coast

Police are awaiting toxicology tests to formally identify the substance which has resulted in users hallucinating and exhibiting bizarre behaviour.

It comes at a concerning time on Queensland's party strip, with tens-of-thousands expected to flock to the region's nightspots in the coming weeks for the Gold Coast 600 motor race and end-of-year school celebrations.