FORREST Gump started running one day and didn't stop for three years, two months, 14 days and 16 hours.
In that time, the fictional movie character Tom Hanks made famous ran countless kilometres across America in an effort that made Sydney-to-Melbourne ultra-marathoners Cliff Young and Yiannis Kouros look like weekend joggers.
North Melbourne midfielder Sam Gibson might not have embarked on a similar odyssey but, like Gump, once he starts running he does not stop – at least not in a game of football.
Gibson's ability to keep running when other players are starting to run on the spot has stood out since he made his AFL debut at 26 in round 12 last season.
When North needs a safe option in space or to man up a loose opposition player, Gibson puts his skates on.
Senior North assistant coach Darren Crocker told AFL.com.au Gibson's aerobic fitness is so good he runs as hard at the end of a game as at the start.
"As others get tired, Gibbo's still breaking into space," Crocker said.
"He's a massive help to the backline, always giving them an option or an easy release that means they can avoid kicking to a contest.
"But he works just as hard the other way, running back to cover off the opposition."
Champion Data statistics show just how effectively Gibson has been able to win the ball in space this season.
He is ranked 11th in the AFL for total uncontested possessions, equal 16th for uncontested marks and equal 18th for handball receives.
Gibson told AFL.com.au he has great confidence in his running and tries to exploit it from the opening bounce to the final siren.
"I just try and run as hard as I can for as long as I can," Gibson said.
"And I have that confidence that I'll be able to go longer than most."
But there's more to Gibson's game than uncontested ball-winning.
He is ranked second at North this season for total disposals, averaging 21.6 possessions a game, fifth for effective kicks and six for inside 50s.
Which explains why Gibson has become a fixture in the Roos' team.
After being taken by North with pick No.63 in the rookie draft of December 2011, Gibson had to wait until the middle of the 2012 season before he was elevated to North's senior list.
But since making his debut, against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium, Gibson has not missed a game, playing 31 consecutive matches.
It's an achievement that should inspire 2013's crop of state-league draft hopefuls such as the VFL's Khan Hareteku, Ben Brown and Willie Wheeler, the WAFL's Shane Nelson and Dayle Garlett and the SANFL's Travis Tuck and Nathan Gordon.
Even those players thinking their AFL dreams are over can take solace from Gibson's story. When he was delisted from Hawthorn's rookie list after just one season, 2007, he never expected to get another AFL chance.
Gibson subsequently juggled playing with the Box Hill Hawks in the VFL with work as a civil engineer in a predominantly office-based job.
Gibson said that taste of everyday working life has helped him make the most of his second chance in the AFL.
"It made me hungry to succeed, and really able to appreciate what I have and to try and hang onto it for as long as I can," he said.
Looking back, Gibson said he didn't fully appreciate what was required to succeed in the AFL in his stint at Hawthorn.
"As a 20-year-old I thought I was doing everything right perhaps, but I probably just drifted a bit and just did what I was told," he said.
"But now having watched the senior guys at North I know you've sometimes got to go above and beyond what the program is and what you're told to do to become an AFL player.
"I'm just a lot better prepared now."
But Gibson is not allowing himself to get comfortable, with his biggest focus now on improving his kicking and decision-making.
"I still feel like my spot is not necessarily in cement just yet," he said.
"I feel like every week I have to perform to stay there and, while that can be a bit nerve-wracking at times, it sort of helps me get the best out of myself."
| GIBSON'S STATS IN 2012 | TOTAL | RANK AT NORTH |
| Uncontested possessions | 296 | First (11th in AFL) |
| Handball receives | 174 | First (18th in AFL) |
| Uncontested marks | 99 | Second (16th in AFL) |
| Disposals | 386 | Second |
| Effective kicks | 136 | Fifth |
| Inside 50s | 50 | Sixth |
Nick Bowen is a reporter with AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nick
