This year, we expanded our Media Jury with a few great water polo journalists who work for newspapers and TV stations.
One of them is Dean Bauer, who has been working for the Croatian daily “Sportske Novosti” for years. For most of his career, he has been covering water polo, so he is a true expert for the Croatian and water polo in the whole world, too. He wrote the book “The Golden Decade of Croatian Water Polo 2007 – 2017” and was the editor of the monograph “A century of Croatian Water Polo”.
Dean Bauer’s Total Male 5 for 2019
1st – Francesco Di Fulvio
Italian National Player | Club: Pro Recco | Position: Driver
“He was one of the main players in Pro Recco through the season and the best Italian in that team. He won the gold medal at the World Championships with Italy and was named the MVP of the tournament.”
2nd – Maro Jokovic
Croatian National Player | Club: Jug/Olympiacos | Position: Wing
“Jug’s best player in the season 2018/19. Also, he was one of the best in the Croatian national team, which won the world bronze. He was voted for the best player of the bronze medal match and he was the 2nd best scorer of the tournament.”
3rd – Marko Bijac
Croatian National Player | Club: Pro Recco | Position: Goalkeeper
“He was the best goalkeeper of the World League Final Eight, he played excellently at the World Championships. Bijac is the best goalkeeper in the world today and the key player in Pro Recco, coached by Ratko Rudic”
4th – Marton Vamos
Hungarian National Player | Club: Ferencvarosi TC | Position: Field player
“He won everything he could with Ferencvaros in the last season. He was one of the main players in the team. An outstanding left-handed player, who has probably the strongest and the fastest shot in the world.”
5th – Andro Buslje
Croatian National Player | Clubs: Olympiacos/Pro Recco | Position: Center-back
“He gets better and better from year to year. He is an example of how a player should play cleanly and effectively in defense. I can’t remember any of his mistakes. The best defender in the world, who also has a great shot. Confirmation of his quality was a move to Pro Recco”
Dean Bauer’s Total Female 5 of 2019
1st – Maggie Steffens
USA National Player | Club: CN Sabadell | Position: Driver
“She won the Euro League with Sabadell and was the club’s best player last season. In the end, she clinched the gold at the World Championships.”
2nd – Laura Ester
Spanish National Player | Club: Sabadell | Position: Goalkeeper
“The best goalkeeper at the World Championships, but she also was the best goalie in the Euro League. She won the Euro League with the club and world silver with the national team.”
3rd – Rita Keszthelyi
Hungarian National Player | Club: UVSE Budapest | Position: Driver/Wing
“The best scorer of the World Championships, she finished 4th with her team in Gwangju and reached the Euro League quarterfinals with the club.”
4th – Roser Tarrago
Spanish National Player | Club: Mediterrani | Position: Driver
“She was voted the MVP of the World Championships. She is one of the main players in the Spanish team which won the silver medal at the World Championships.”
5th – Hannah Buckling
Australian National Player | Club: Sidney University Lions/Olympiacos | Position: Center-back
“Playing for Olympiacos, she won the silver in the Euro League, while she took bronze with Australia at the World Championships”
Check out the other votes so far and cast your own on the official Total Waterpolo Player 2019 page.
