'Brave' Melbourne girl fights off attacker who followed her off tram to her house

A brazen attacker attempted to abduct a schoolgirl as she got off a Melbourne tram, chasing her home and bashing on the front door.

The 12-year-old saw the man, who was wearing high visibility workwear, staring at her on a route 82 tram in Maribyrnong on Wednesday afternoon.

When she got off at the intersection of Edgewater Boulevard and Gordon Street at about 4.30pm, he followed her, grabbed her by the arm and said "let's go".

She broke free and ran 700 metres to her house with him following.

Once inside the girl locked front door as the attacker bashed on it several times before leaving.

Her parents were not home at the time and police say it could have been "much worse".

Senior Constable Fahd Ahmed said the girl showed great bravery.

"It was brazen and very frightening for her and she was brave and showed a lot of presence of mind and courage under the circumstances," he said.

The attack occurred on a busy shopping strip and police are calling on anyone who may have witnessed the attempted abduction to some forward.

There was no CCTV on the tram and police are currently scouring footage from nearby shops.

The man is described as of Indian sub-continental appearance, aged between 36 to 42, about 182cm tall with a solid build, short spiked black hair in a Mohawk style, a large hooked nose and unshaven.

At the time of the attack he was wearing a long-sleeved high visibility top, dark-coloured work pants and work boots.