The Pioneers were not at their best as they suffered a six-goal loss to the Geelong Falcons at the QEO on Sunday.

They play the Greater Western Victoria Rebels in Ballarat this weekend in the last home and away round before a potential finals series begins.

After coming off the bye, the Pioneers looked slow and struggled to hit targets against the Falcons.

"It was more mindset than anything else...we can't make any excuses,'' O'Bree said.

"Our training was good on Tuesday and good again on Thursday. That performance was about mindset.

"We have to take accountability for it. For any game you have to turn up with a good attitude - a competitive attitude."

The Pioneers kicked just two goals for the game from 18 scoring shots.

Many of their missed shots at goal were shots the players would normally kick.

"I'm really reluctant to say it was just one of those days,'' O'Bree said.

"You have to give credit to the opposition because their pressure was excellent, but we have to be composed enough to hit the scoreboard when under pressure and we weren't that."

After starting the year strongly, the Pioneers' form has been up and down through a lockdown-affected second half of the season.

"It's been a rollercoaster,'' O'Bree said.

"Two games ago we played our worst footy then last game we played our best footy. Then we eclipsed that worst performance with our game against Geelong.

"It's a simple mindset thing. I know young players can be inconsistent at times, but we really need to bridge that gap between our best and worst."

The Pioneers' cause against Geelong wasn't helped by some injuries in the second half.

Key players Bode Stevens and Harvey Gallagher were two of the players forced from the ground.

"We had four players down in that final quarter,'' O'Bree said. "We might lose one of the three for this week, but the other three should be right to play."

Melbourne's continued lockdown has cast a shadow on the NAB League finals, with metropolitan clubs sidelined for at least another two weeks.

The NAB League is yet to make a decision on the finals, but it could be a case of the Pioneers participating in a regional-based finals series with Geelong, Murray Bushrangers, Gippsland Power and Greater Western Victoria Rebels.

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