Dual Brownlow medallist and Carlton premiership-winning player Greg Williams says having a runner in Saturday's AJC Australian Derby is more exciting than any football match he played in.Inducted into the Australian Football Hall Of Fame in 2001, his achievements include being a member of Carlton's 1995 grand final-winning side in which he won the Norm Smith Medal for best on ground.But for Williams, not even winning a premiership in front of more than 100,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Gro

Dual Brownlow medallist and Carlton premiership-winning player Greg Williams says having a runner in Saturday's AJC Australian Derby is more exciting than any football match he played in.

Inducted into the Australian Football Hall Of Fame in 2001, his achievements include being a member of Carlton's 1995 grand final-winning side in which he won the Norm Smith Medal for best on ground.

But for Williams, not even winning a premiership in front of more than 100,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground compares with what he is experiencing this week.

"I played football every weekend, this is totally different and I'm much more nervous about this race than I was about a football game," Williams said.

"This is my first Group One runner and it's also far more exciting than any game I played in, these big races are something else."

The AFL champion is one of 10 owners of the Peter Gelagotis-trained Big Col who runs in the $1.6 million Group One 2400-metre Classic at Randwick.

Connections paid the $35,000 late entry fee to get the colt into the Derby.

Big Col was being prepared for Saturday's $500,000 WATC Derby at Ascot.

When his flight to Perth was cancelled last week the AJC's racing manager Colin Tuck told Gelagotis that Big Col would get a start in the Derby.

Williams said the decision didn't take the owners long to make.

"I think it took a minute," Williams said.

"You don't pass up opportunities like these, this is a chance for the horse to do something amazing."

Williams is also a member the Sydney Swans/South Melbourne team of the century and the Carlton team of the century.

Trainer Gerald Ryan, a good friend of Williams, originally trained Big Col because he was stranded in NSW during the equine influenza crisis and could not be floated to Victoria.

While he was with Ryan, Big Col, who cost $150,000 as a yearling, ran second to Derby second favourite Metal Bender in a 900-metre barrier trial at Rosehill in September.

Shortly after he pulled up shin-sore after finishing seventh to another Derby contender, Rock Kingdom, in a Kembla Grange maiden on debut.

Big Col has had four starts for Gelagotis including a last-start victory over WATC contender Markus Maximus in a 2000-metre race at Caulfield on March 28.

Williams was at the barrier draw on Tuesday and produced the five marble.

Big Col will be ridden by Chris Munce and TAB Sportsbet rates the colt a $21 chance on its fixed odds market.