Humans of MUSC: Carrot (aka Angela)
In this special edition of Humans of MUSC for Female Football Week, we speak to one of our very own *females* who is *very* involved in football, Angela Christian-Wilkes – or as everyone at MUSC knows her, Carrot! Read on to find out about the important tasks she performs as club administrator, how you can subscribe to her football podcast(!), and how she first got involved in club vollie roles!
Can you introduce yourself please:
Hello, my name is Carrot (birth name: Angela.) I currently play for WSL3 in the midfield – 10 is my fave position but I’ve been doing quite well as a 6 this year so far. You also may know me as “that girl who is always posting in the playing group asking people to do stuff” or “strange person yelling at my team to ‘WARM UP OFF THE PITCHES'” but the formal name for the role is club administrator.
Why did you choose to play at the Melbourne University Soccer Club?
Like so many of us, I joined MUSC in 2015 after moving to Melbourne for my undergrad. I don’t think there was much of a choice around the club per se, as Melbourne Uni seemed like the obvious option, but it was a choice to continue playing football. I hadn’t had the best time playing in previous years, and came to the club with a terrible attitude as a result (sorry to coaches Chak and Kenzo!). I kept playing because I needed some form of structured socialisation and I am glad I did because MUSC is pretty much my home now – and not just because I live in the Southern Pavilion storeroom.
What do you feel are the main benefits of playing at MUSC?
I mean, aside from that the club administrator is soooo cute and sexy?? And that our home ground, Princes Park, is the most beautiful place on earth? I think the main benefit to playing at MUSC is our fantastic culture. You get to be a part of a team but also a wider community with shared values of fairness, equity, and inclusion. While good culture is sustained through good eggs bringing in more good eggs, it is also embedded into work that isn’t always visible or sexy. It includes things like Anna creating the club’s pride round (basically anything Anna does tbh); Michael managing the finances so resources are allocated equitably; Lachlan and Phil doing it is whatever lawyers do rework the constitution in 2020; and Sasha going into battle for basically anyone who needs it.
Has there been a favourite season at MUSC, and if so, why?
My favourite season at MUSC is autumn because that’s when the lights come on and we get to wear boots!
Okay, okay, being serious now. I’ll list three that have been standout in different ways! 2016, standout because I got moved away from wing back and into the middle of the park, and realised I’m not actually that shit at football. Thank you coach Mel! 2018 was amazing for the vibes created by Adam Howard and his group of gremlins. If you ask him nicely, he’ll tell you about a very special tattoo he got that year. And 2022 was standout for how I performed on the pitch. Turns out I love scoring goals! And not just in my own net!
What about your current involvement in the soccer club?
It all started, one balmy preseason night in early 2016. Club stalwart Lynn Callanan cornered me and asked “[Irish accent] Carrot. Do you want to join the committee?” Partly because I am a little scared of Lynn and partly because I am a people pleaser, I said yes. So began a fruitful journey as a community sport volunteer. I have since been a social comp coordinator, registrar, secretary, football committee chair, social media minion, vice president and now, club administrator.
The club admin role exists so that the things that need to get done for soccer to happen – forms for the council, fixture preferences for Football Victoria, reporting for MU Sport – get done. I started in the role last year and it’s the only thing I do that I don’t have imposter syndrome about. The role is part-time, 10 hours a week, and I get a desk at the Melbourne University Sport Development office to do my silly little spreadsheets and emails at. I don’t mention that it’s salaried to brag but to highlight that everyone else you see helping around the club is a volunteer.
Has there been a standout coach at MUSC? (and) the best player you have played alongside at MUSC?
I may regret saying this as it could make his bonce get even bigger, but standout coach is Tom Bell. I became friends with Tom through following the Matildas and Melbourne Victory Women. One day, in 2021, he asked if we had any coaching openings at the club. Soon after, he was the coach of WSL3. The most he had taught me about football up until then were the meanings to the terms “nuff”, “nonce”, “div”, and “seppo”. However, I can say, heading into season three, that I’ve learnt the most and improved the most being coached by Tom. He’s a fantastic coach, with a great mix of technical knowledge and people skills.
Best player is really hard so I made an XI of people I have loved playing alongside during my time at MUSC (every year in State 3.)
| Jordis Scheidegger (2017 – 2022) | Molly Boorman (2017 & 2023) | Cat Hoang (Rat) (2018 & 2019) | ||||
| Chiara Cementon (2022) | Anamika Joijode (Nams) (2016) | |||||
| Amy Twigg (2018 & 2019) | ||||||
| Jess Di Rosso (2016) | Hannah Bromley (Dozza) (2017) | Emer Devitt (2015 & 2016) | Anna Leonedas (sorry I had put you at right back so I could get Dozza in!) (2018 – 2023) | |||
| Caitlin Gray (2018 – 2022) |
Besides sports, do you have any other hobbies or passions?
I was asked this on a date once, after spending 45 minutes explaining the difference between Football Victoria and VicSoccer’s governance processes. Turns out, pretty hard for me to answer, given I play football, am doing a research degree on football, make media about football (like follow and subscribe ESPN’s The Far Post Podcast), and have a part time job in football. If you’re wondering, the person who asked is my girlfriend now. We can put Keith down for the assist on that one.
My other passions include my cat Melon; diagnosing people with ADHD; and the music of pop girlies such as MUNA, Charli XCX and Chloe Moriondo.
What has been your most memorable goal during your time at MUSC?
The winning goal in our 2-1 win over Kensington. Ella did this amazing cartoon of it:
What is your secret talent that no one knows about?
I am a very good dancer. Only I and the 35 people who follow my Instagram dance account know this.
What are you most excited about for this season?
Again, I refuse to pick just one thing, so here’s a list:
- The lighting being upgraded at Prinny.
- My dad getting to see me play for the first time since I moved.
- Gloating about the Matildas beating Canada to a team full of Canadians.
- Playing some s3xy football with a talented, lovely group of legends.
- My (touch wood) 100th game for the club.
- Banging! In! Some! Goals!
We are also very excited for the lighting upgrade at Prinny. Thanks for chatting with us today, Carrot, and thank you for all of your hard work as club administrator, particularly this past week dealing with the Prinny lighting situation! We look forward to celebrating your 100 games at the club this season, and hopefully another 100 games in the years to come.